In Duren
by Augustus Aurelius
Summary: A year has passed since Queen Aanya ascended to the Satin Throne of Duren. In that time, she survived coups, assassinations, and the daily manipulations of the great Houses at court, but the royal House of Amin is in shambles. The only one she can truly trust is her stepbrother, former Crown Regent and now Court Mage, but even he has secrets, and goals, of his own. S2 Spoilers.
1. The Queen of Thorns

Part One: What They've Sown

_The Queen of Thorns_

It was a heated day at court. The courtesans kept their clothing looser than usual, and the men had slowly started to unravel and take off their traditional headpieces. The women of the court coolly enjoyed their hair in braids or ponytails down their backs - no one considered letting their hair go free under the oppressive heat. The desert winds were blowing hard from the west, and the open air architecture of Duren was too welcoming. All around the Duren hill, the kingdom could be seen in full bloom. Harvests were starting to begin, and full fields of grains were slowly shrinking as they were hacked at by gleaming scythes.

Manu took another sip from a crystal flask under the shadow of an impressive arch. He cast his gaze around the assemblage, watching whom stood with whom, who looked surprised when things were said and who nodded with approval, who stood with their arms crossed, and who refused to look at the small girl who sat cross-legged on the blue satin pillow in the front of the room. He took interest in one group of men and women who stood directly opposite him. They leaned in towards each other whenever someone spoke, clearly confiding their opinions of the topic to each other. Only one man, taller than all the others, and with an expression that could have been chiseled in stone, remained silent and motionless. The group around him seemed eager to garner his attention and repeatedly leaned in and whispered things to him, but he did not acknowledge the attempts with anything more than stoic blinks of his golden eyes.

Manu followed his gaze and noticed that he was, in fact, looking at the small girl. He knew that the look was not one of respect, but one of envy. It seemed almost everyone in the kingdom wanted to sit on the Satin. Over the past year, that had become painfully obvious.

"Queen Aanya," a voice shouted from the back of the hall. Manu turned his attention to watch as a man, wearing the pale green embroidered jacket of a member of House Aaivee, took a few steps forward. "It pains me to say it, but I disagree with your Majesty's choice to turn our backs on our allies in Katolis!"

A murmur of opinions rippled through the great hall. Manu noted who nodded and who shook their heads, as well as who kept their composure neutral. He was more concerned with the nobles who hid their opinions rather than show them outright. Court was a very dangerous place, and the Duren court was a plotter's playground.

"Of course an Aaivee would disagree," a tanned man a few paces from Manu's pillar exclaimed. "You all must grow so tired of sitting at home and trimming your hedges while your winter crops have yet to harvest!"

"I would not hear accusations of laziness," the first man roared, "from a member of House Ankur!"

A polite chuckle appeared in pockets of the royal court, as the more informed courtesans were reminded of how House Ankur had, a few years prior, let an entire field of rich grain rot during a rainy month because one of their younger members refused to give instructions to his workers because he was suffering from what he claimed was a stomach ache. For years after, whenever someone in Duren was looking for an excuse to get out of work, they would often claim to have a case of the "Ankur flu."

The matriarch of House Ankur, Lady Malati Ankur, turned redder than the crimson sari she wore draped around her. She bashed her knotted golden cane against the tiled floor. "And I will not hear anything from a man who cannot keep a wife for longer than one season!"

The court laughed, openly and loudly, and the first man pursed his lips. He looked as though he wished he were anywhere else. Manu could not pity him, for the man had painted the target onto his own back. He watched as the other members of House Aaivee shot murderous glares at Lady Ankur, who raised her nose with the pride of her family.

"Enough." A voice, crisp and stern, came from the Satin. Everyone was silenced by the command, and all turned to look at the young Queen.

She looked around the court with her pale yellow eyes, her expression unreadable. The spaulders on her dress seemed less decorative today, and more armor-like. Queen Aanya was a young girl, but her skin was tanned from time spent in the fields with her people, and her arms were toned from the time she herself dedicated to working alongside them. Manu was reminded, not for the first time, and the Queen was not born of royal blood, but was born from the common folk. She was adopted into the royal House Amin, not born into it. The same thing that enraged the nobles of Duren was that which inspired the commons.

"I decided that enough fighting is done here, in court," Queen Aanya said crisply. "That we do not need to start more fighting with the elves."

Manu listened as about half the court laughed, and the other half could not resist but smirk. The Queen's sharp wit was famous throughout the five kingdoms, and she had acquired the moniker of "Queen of Thorns" behind her back. It was well deserved.

"We need our men and women here," she continued, "For the harvests. House Aaivee will agree with me, I am sure, as they have late year harvests. An extended campaign in Xadia would mean that your crops would have to go untouched."

Manu wondered, briefly, if the young Queen was making a subtle gibe at the expense of House Ankur, staunch allies of the Crown.

"It is true that I made the decision without advisers present, but you must believe me when I tell you I looked into the eyes of Lord Viren of Katolis and I was concerned with what I saw there. The other Kingdoms were in agreement, as well."

Queen Aanya looked around the court as though she was silently daring anyone else to challenge her. When she had shared her report of the meeting with the privy council, there had been a surprising amount of support for her decision. Even the most bloodthirsty members of the most glory-seeking Houses had agreed it would be foolish to follow a clearly deranged warlock into battle against the combined forces of the elves. Only Manu was told of the attempts by the Lord Viren to manipulate the Queen with stories of her mothers.

The Queen looked at him for a moment, and then looked away. He could tell she wanted to be done with court for the day. He considered, for a moment, summoning an illusion to present an excuse for the Queen to make a swift departure, but her retinue had loose lips and would reveal the deception to the rest of the court. For the sake of appearances, the Queen had to remain. It was an important function to preside over the royal court, as the nobles had to feel as though they could have their grievances heard.

"Your Majesty," a voice said from across the room. It was one of the group that Manu had noticed earlier. He recognized the speaker as Lord Chanda of House Sher, whose loose golden and brown robes were embroidered with orange designs. "I wish that you had taken your Crown Regent with you into the Pentarchy-"

Manu caught the glance of the Queen, and tried to keep from sighing as he realized it was an appropriate time for him to break his silence.

"As former Crown Regent," He said, trying to keep his annoyance out of his voice. "I came with the Queen to the summit of the Pentarchy, but I remained outside with the other dignitaries while the Kings and Queens of the Kingdoms discussed the matters at hand."

"So you had no input into the summit, whatsoever?" Lord Chanda continued. Manu's focus changed to that of the taller man to Lord Chanda's right, who still was staring at Queen Aanya. Manu felt a slight pain on the top of his head: an intuition that he never ignored.

"Queen Aanya asked for my insight before the summit, and I told her that to move our troops to the border now," Manu recounted, pushing a strand of silver-blonde hair behind his ear. "So soon after the assassination of King Harrow, would be nothing more than an invitation to Xadia that our doors were open for a surprise attack."

The court grew quiet. It bothered Manu how his voice and opinion was more respected than that of the Queen. He served as Regent for the seven years it took for Aanya to reach an age from which she could rule. He was only fourteen when he was given the title, willed to him by the former Queens. It was clearly an oversight on their parts, as they had expected he would be at least a decade older if the need for him to take the regency ever arose, but their wills were law.

During those seven years, Manu grew up from a quiet, stubborn young teenager who ignored advice into a patient and fair regent who listened to everyone and ruled fairly. The nobles appreciated his fairness and unwillingness to intercede in the internal power struggles between the Great Houses, and the common people welcomed his candor.

Manu was now the twenty-year old Court Magister of the Royal Court, the official representative of the Magisterial College of scholars and magic practitioners of the kingdom of Duren. He was of average height and lithe build, but stood out from the other people of Duren with his silver-blonde hair and pale green eyes. Others described his face as feline, even borderline elven, which amused him to no end.

Much like Aanya, Manu was adopted by the previous Queens, but his story was significantly different. Whereas Aanya was the orphaned daughter of a longtime friend of the Queens, Manu was the sole survivor of a Duren raiding party. After the combat, the Queens found him hiding up in a tree. Rather than leave him to starve in the wilderness on his own, they took him in, and raised him like he was one of their own. He was too young to remember any of it, but not a day went by that he was not incredibly grateful to the Queens of House Amin for welcoming him.

No one else had ever adopted a Moonshadow Elf.


	2. Heavy is the Head

Part One: What They've Sown

_Heavy is the Head_

After court, Manu returned to his small villa. It was large enough to reflect his status as a member of the royal House Amin, but also small enough that he never got any grandiose delusions. The villa was situated high up in one of the mountains that looked down over the Duren Palace, which gave Manu an excellent view of the kingdom. He liked to imagine he was keeping an eye on things, in case they ever got out of hand. It also gave him a beautiful view of the moon and stars, which had been the intent of the Queens when they had ordered the villa's construction. He had been too young to understand it then, but it was for his own benefit when they had made the decision to keep him out of view of the royal court before he could learn to control his powers.

Manu was a Moonshadow Elf, and one with fortunately a natural talent for magic. Once he had learned to control his illusions, the first one he crafted was one of a perfectly normal human boy. He wore it and aged it every day for five years while learning from the royal tutors at the Magisterial College, and no one ever suspected a thing. There were some close calls, however. When Manu was studying magic, his instructor had performed a revealing spell, and had Manu been a pace closer his disguise would have been destroyed completely. A year later, then Manu had overcome his inner fear and decided to turn his back on elven taboo, his first revealing spell was cast safely in another direction.

The disgust for dark magic was something that had taken Manu a long time to work himself through. It was the only way, however, for him to be able to continue to learn magic from educated instructors instead of on his own. He needed to be able to give himself a cover for his magical powers, which, along with his insatiable hunger for knowledge and understanding, was how he justified it's use. In his villa, however, he was able to practice his illusions and other moon magic any time he wanted, and he had an entire secret library under the villa in which he stored his rare elven texts. He was careful, though, to keep his illusionary disguise whenever he went outside.

A good thing, too, Manu reminded himself, as he watched as a brown horse and rider start up the path to his home. The trip took around twenty minutes by horse and over twice that for a person walking by foot. Manu had long since enchanted the path to alert him whenever someone started upon it, but more often than not he was able to see them when they began. He liked being outdoors and watching the busy kingdom below him. It reminded him that even without him as Regent, life went on. It was soothing.

He leaned his head back to look at the twilight sky. The sun was starting to set earlier now, meaning autumn was on it's way. As much as he hated the cold, he relished the longer nights. He supposed it was his primal affinity with the moon, but maybe it was the darkness that made him feel safer. He could be himself when no one was watching. He rubbed the top of his head, knowing he should feel two horns there; because of his illusionary magic, he felt nothing.

Manu thought back to the pain from earlier. Something bad was coming, he knew it. Recently, Aanya had passed new laws that took away the rights of the royal Houses to enforce their own laws within their lands, and had established a new system of courts to enforce the Crown laws. As was normal with Aanya's decisions, the commons rejoiced while the nobles were outraged. Manu could see that her mind was going in the youthful direction of a more equal and fair society, but he was worried that she would eventually abolish the Crown in favor of even more extreme measures.

He put a long sigh into the wind, releasing with it all the frustration of the day. He had changed out of his Magisterial robes when he got home, ditching the white and gray garments for a light tunic. He kept his sword with him though, just because he was just far enough from civilization for the local guards to be able to reach him if he needed them. The sword was more for appearances - his moon magic could easily take care of any danger that would find him up in the mountains. Still, it was a comfort.

Manu went inside and waved a hand, and the candles throughout the house lit with illusionary fire. The heat would feel real to anyone that got too close, and should they touch the flame, their brain would believe it would cause a real burn. Manu would easily be able to treat any injury with a little showmanship and then just remove the imagined burn like it were any other conjuration. He did many similar things at the royal court, "healing" wounds just by placing hexes to remove the pain. A sore throat here, stubbed toe there, even the occasional larger wound. It was a blessing that the illusions had physical form, because otherwise he would be nothing more than a charlatan playing with smoke and mirrors.

Manu set out bread and berry wine on the kitchen table, and began to cut an apple into slices. He could create any food he wanted with his illusions, but he preferred knowing he was eating the real thing. From time to time, he indulged himself in turning water from the mountain spring outside into wine just to save himself from having to spend any gold.

He was sitting at the table sipping from a flute of wine when his visitor walked in. He had heard the horse whinny outside, but it was the soft music of the enchanted wind chimes on the wall that had alerted him of the arrival.

"Your Majesty," He said, not getting up from his seat. He had long since been chastised to never bow or show any deference to the Queen when not in public.

Queen Aanya stepped into the kitchen from the doorway, wearing a dark riding cloak. She still wore the crown in her hair, but she had changed out of her pauldroned dress into more comfortable clothing. Now she wore a light blue summer dress. Manu admired how she moved with grace and certainty wherever she went. Even though she had not been born it, she was now royalty in every sense of the word.

"I grow tired of this fighting in court, Manu." The Queen said, putting her cloak on the back of her chair before she sat down. "I thought it was children who were supposed to fight all the time, not adults."

Manu chuckled, and slid the plate of apples and bread towards her. He did not offer her wine because he knew she would refuse it. She was a queen of the highest virtue. "Years ago, it would have been me they were fighting with. You are lucky they've decided to go after each other instead."

Aanya put her head on the table, immediately reminding Manu of just how young she actually was. "I just want them to stop." She proclaimed, voice muffled by the hard wood. "Every one has better things to do."

Manu sipped from his wine and watched her. She visited with him almost every evening - they were family, adopted or not, and they were all they had left. Although he was certainly her senior, she was the one named in the line of succession, and she hated it.

"Take the Satin again, Manu," Aanya pleaded, as she did almost daily. "I'm so tired of these nobles."

Manu kept from rolling his eyes out of respect for the Queen. For an elf, in disguise, to rule over a human kingdom? As compassionate and loving as his stepmothers had been, they understood the political necessity for a human ruler in a human kingdom. That Manu was regent at all was a fluke on their part. Death always came at inconvenient times.

"You are a better ruler than I could ever be, Aanya." Manu said, wishing that their stepmothers were still alive. Aanya deserved to have a child's life, and grow up playing with friends and maturing at her own pace. Within the past year, the young girl had seen more conflict and turmoil than some experienced in their entire lifetime. Attempted assassinations and coups, some from open enemies, some from former allies and friends, all deeply troubling to the young queen. To still be ruling after it all was a true testament to her resolve and her bravery. Or, at least her stubbornness.

Aanya looked up, a red imprint on her forehead from the wooden table. "Manu, why do you still come to court?" She asked.

The question caught him off guard. He chose his words carefully. "Even though I am no longer your regent, it is important for people to see that you still have me around. It implies that you take my counsel."

"But," Aanya said. "I do take your counsel. All of Duren knows it."

Manu sipped his wine. The sour berries almost made his eyes roll back in their sockets. The flavor was exquisite. "Some of the noble Houses are concerned by that. They worry that I am trying to control you. Other Houses worry that you don't listen to me at all, and then some Houses worry that I could declare a claim for the Crown and use my influence at court to take the Satin."

Aanya was silent, and then finally she moved to take a slice of apple. She bit into it with a crisp crunch. "So why stay at court?" She repeated.

Manu looked outside at the setting sun. "I suppose I feel as though I have to," he admitted. "Sometimes I worry that if I am not there, the nobles might try to take advantage of my absence and push you on issues that you might not fully understand. Or, they would worry about what I was doing when not around."

Aanya thought for awhile. "I would not have thought of the seasonal planting if you had not said anything about it."

Manu looked back at her. "It really wasn't a good excuse," He confessed. "I just know that the only thing that scares the late-year Houses more than the elves is missing a harvest. If all their workers march to war, then they would not only their workers but their money as well."

"I had already decided not to join Katolis in their war before you had told me that." The Queen said, her attention wandering to one of the candles. Her voice was soft.

"I know." Manu told her. It was cyclical for the two of them: the Queen would make a decision, and Manu would tell her what her explanation to the court and her advisers would be. Whereas Manu made decisions based on what was practical and efficient, the young Queen made decisions based on what she thought was right and wrong. His explanations were what kept the nobles from seeing the innocent and soft heart of the Queen. Without using any magic, he was able to disguise her as well.

"Thank you, Manu." Queen Aanya nodded to him.

"Of course, your Majesty."


	3. A Tale of Two Kingdoms

Part One: What They've Sown

_A Tale of Two Kingdoms_

As the sun rose, Manu rose as well. He dressed in the mirror, watching as his short purple horns and eye markings faded out of sight. He put a hand on an ear as the pointed tip slowly changed to a rounded human one. His hands and feet grew new digits, and before long he was his normal, human self. He looked in the mirror at the form he was now more accustomed to seeing than his natural body. He was lucky to be able to change his appearance - he knew that there were women in the world who would kill for the power. He strayed from indulging in his looks too much - it seemed unfair. He could be the most attractive person alive if he desired, but he had no need of the attention. What would he do with it? He felt as though he could not take a lover while pretending to be human. Something about the deception in doing so revolted him.

When he finished dressing, he went to the stable and saddled his horse. Even the horse had never seen him in his elven form. Manu himself knew how easy it was to procure the snake's tongue and cast the dark magic that allowed one to speak with animals. The last thing he needed was someone talking to his horse and it giving away his secrets.

"But you wouldn't give me up, would you?" Manu asked. He ran a hand down the horse's face. With dark eyes, the animal seemed to concur. Manu tightened the saddle straps and a few minutes later, he was on his way down the mountain path. He enjoyed the solitude, away from the busy noise of the Palace. Even in the Magisterial College, there was always a dull murmur.

The College was his first destination that day, as he needed to check in with the Lord Magister as was his duty. As Court Magister, he was the representative of the College, and was tasked with assisting the kingdom with all needs magical. He also represented the interests of the College on the privy council, which he did to an extent. He viewed his position as more of a ceremonial one, given to the former Regent out of necessity for giving him due cause to remain at court. The relationship between the College and Queen Aanya was a strong alliance, based mostly out of necessity. The noble Houses of Duren viewed the College as privileged elites who enjoyed a life of luxury without any meaningful use to society, which was, oddly enough, how everyone else viewed the noble Houses.

An hour later, he arrived at the small town that encompassed the College. The town was a series of houses, basic shops, and inns that catered mainly to the residents and visitors to the main attraction in the center of the town. A massive castle, almost as large as the Duren Palace, rose out of the ground to scrape the sky with marble towers designed to look like trees. The entire College had an organic look, a style given by it's original elven owners. After the human and elven split, the elves had to leave behind all their incredible architecture for the humans to slowly inhabit. The College had remained standing for the last thousand years due to the enchantments woven into the stonework. It was impenetrable to any spell or weapon known to man or elf. Obviously, it made the perfect place to test extremely dangerous spells without fear of breaking something.

The robed guards nodded to Manu as he approached. He dismounted, giving his horse to a stable boy. His feet had yet to touch the ground when he heard his name called.

"Lord Regent Amin!" A voice chirped. He turned his head to see a woman, wearing a rainbow of colors on her robe, approach. She reminded him of a peacock, not for the first time.

"I am neither a Lord, nor Regent, Lady Ester." Manu bowed politely. "Merely Manu is appropriate."

Lady Ester bowed, noticeably doing so lower than Manu. "Of course, your Highness." Even here, in the meritocracy of the Magisterial College, did proper etiquette take precedence over social norms. Manu expected no less of Lady Ester, given his experiences with her before. She came from Katolis, and was the daughter of a highly-placed military officer there. Manu believed her father was on the High Council, as well.

"The Lord Magister is waiting for you in the garden, your Highness." Lady Ester continued. "I'm here to lead you to him."

Manu nodded. "You lead, I'll follow." He said.

Lady Ester appeared confused for a moment, probably going through her mind to think of the appropriate response, but Manu started walking towards her and she decided it was better for her to start moving rather than risk the ire of a Royal. Manu followed behind, clueless to what was going on in her head. His eyes moved with purpose, taking every thing in around him. After the past year, he looked for shadows in every corner, and had a very small reserve of trust left in him. He did not dare place any alarm charms in the College at risk of being found out. Dark magic he could easily explain, but not moon magic without a primal stone.

Lady Ester led him underneath a magnificent oaken arch and into a small flower garden. Within a bed of roses stood a hunched old man with a long white beard. The hair on top of his head had long since fallen out, and dark cracks of purple were permanently scarred into his scalp. He did not turn around as Manu and Lady Ester approached. Instead, he stood with the help of his ivory cane, and watched as two birds played in a bird bath. His head moved gently from side to side, reminding Manu of a ship drifting in the waves.

"Lord Magister," Lady Ester announced. "His Highness Lord Amin is here to see you."

Manu did not correct her this time, having given up.

"Good, good." The Lord Magister said, his voice coarse with age. "Leave us."

Lady Ester scurried away, her robes trailing behind her like a peacock's tail. Manu clasped his hands behind his back and waited for the Lord Magister to turn around.

A few minutes passed, with no noise besides the chirping of the birds as they played in the cool water.

Finally, the Lord Magister began to hum. After a few minutes of this, and Manu's growing impatience, he finally turned around.

Manu blinked, but that was his only recognition of the scarred and deformed face that now looked at him. Decades of practicing dark magic had left the Lord Magister's face blotched with purple marks, and his eyes were pitch black voids into which all knowledge seemed to fall in. Lightning bolt veins of deep purple stretched out from the skin around his eyes, making him appear as some sort of ancient storm god. If there was any motivation for Manu to slow his practice of dark magic, this image was more than enough.

"Lord Magister," Manu said, bowing deeply. "Always an honor."

"Hmm." The Lord Magister grunted. "Ester got you here in one piece. Good. Sometimes I worry that woman will peck at my visitors and scare them away." He turned back around to look at the birds. Manu celebrated the reprieve from having to look at the old mage's deformed face. He reminded himself that as an illusionist, he took his own appearance for granted.

"Lord Viren has been stripped of his power as Court Mage and Regent of Katolis and imprisoned for plotting to overthrow the Katolis High Council." The Lord Magister reported. He held out a hand and showed Manu a pile of dust that he left fall into the flowerbed. "The message arrived by pheonix feather just this morning."

Manu nodded. Phoenix feathers, incredibly rare, were used in dark magic to send incredibly swift messages across long distances. When the spell was cast, one need only say the name of a recipient and the message, and the feather would soar with the speed of an arrow and find it's mark, and then burst into flames with the message precisely repeated. The rarity of feathers made it only worthwhile for messages that were of the utmost importance. An attempted coup by the Court Mage of Katolis? Manu agreed with the necessity.

"That must have happened just last night, then." Manu reasoned. "It has only been a few days since the summit."

"Aye." The Lord Magister said. "I remember when Viren was a pupil her at the College. He rose so fast to greatness, but he was always a bit too zealous with his ambition. When I heard he had fallen in love with that Del Bar woman, I figured he would slow himself. It seems that a messy separation and the loss of his friend the King did just the opposite."

"The higher you are, the farther the fall." Manu replied. "Would you like me to inform the Queen? I suspect she has yet to hear."

The Lord Magister nodded, the remaining pale spots on his head catching the sun. "Naturally." He turned around. "I would also like you to inform her that she should consider the matter of marriage."

Manu bowed his head, using the movement to hide the brief expression of shock that hit his face. He knew this conversation was long overdue, but he expected one of the privy council to be the first to mention it, not the Lord Magister, and certainly not the Lord Magister instructing Manu to be the one to raise the topic. "Do you not think the Queen is too young, too new to consider a spouse?"

The Lord Magister coughed. Manu looked up in to his black eyes, and felt as though he were falling in to those endless pits. "The failure of the prior Queens Amin to produce a legitimate heir," he started. "Which was of course their choice as a result of the nature of their love-"

Manu bit his tongue and kept from speaking out of turn. Society had clearly changed since the Lord Magister was young. "Of course." Was all he allowed himself to say.

"It causes problems for the stability of House Amin. If the Queen were to produce a true heir, of her own blood, with a husband, then she could have a true claim to the Satin."

Manu had heard this before, from the older nobles in the royal court, and he supposed it would be only natural to hear it from the oldest man in Duren, perhaps the five kingdoms. "I can see how that would strengthen the Queen's claim on the throne, but I still do not see how now is the appropriate time for such a conversation."

The Lord Magister took a step forward, and pointed at Manu's chest with his pale cane. "It is the perfect time for the conversation!" He decreed. "King Harrow of Katolis is dead, Lord Viren has been imprisoned, and a new king will soon be coronated!"

Manu saw an important problem with this plan. "A marriage to the new king, however, would mean that any children from the marriage would be of the king's house. That would mean the end of House Amin."

"Nonsense," The Lord Magister retorted."You could easily have a child, and then House Amin would live on. But, more importantly, if the Queen were to be married to the new king, then after the succession in both kingdoms-"

Manu suddenly saw where the conversation was going. "Then they would be the ruler of both kingdoms."

The Lord Magister nodded. "And that, your Highness, would put the Kingdom of Duren in a very, very strong position indeed."


	4. Family First

Part One: What They've Sown

_Family First_

"Absolutely not!" Queen Aanya shouted. "I will not let my body be a political tool that will be taken advantage of by some old man who dreams of uniting Katolis and Duren!"

Manu nodded and waited patiently.

"I just came back from the Pentarchy where one old man tried to take advantage of my love for our mothers and turn me to his cause because he claimed that is what they would have done. Now, I have to return home, and have the Lord Magister tell me I should jump right into the open arms of Katolis?"

Manu nodded and waited patiently. Nothing had been thrown yet, which was a positive sign.

"What is it with these, these," the Queen tried to find an appropriate word to get a sense of evil and disgust across. "These men," She decided upon, hissing the word. "They they think they can just tell me what to do and I, the oh so young and sweet Queen of Duren, what a sweet little girl she is, will just roll over like a dog and obey?"

She was shrieking now, and before he knew it, the Queen had picked up a goblet and threw it against a wall. A bad sign.

Manu nodded and waited patiently.

Queen Aanya, face ruddy and chest heaving, looked around the room. Manu wondered if she was going to find something else to throw, hopefully nothing too expensive, but she surprised him by instead sitting back down at the table in her bedroom and putting her head in her hands. After a few moments, she leaned back in her chair and looked at Manu.

Manu nodded and waited patiently.

"What do you think of this?" The Queen asked him.

Manu had thought it over during the trip from the College to the Duren Palace. He thought about it during the long walk up the stairs to the Queen's private quarters, during every side conversation her had along the way, and up until he had been granted access to the Queen's bedroom. He still was at a loss for what he truly felt about the idea.

"On one hand, Aanya," Manu began. "A marriage would secure your claim on the throne, especially with another king, especially with the size and power of the Kingdom of Katolis." Manu paused, stretching his other hand out. "On the other, I don't like where this would put the kingdom. What if the new king of Katolis decides he wants to rule over both kingdoms?"

"Would he be able to?" Queen Aanya asked. The ancient rites of kings and queens was based upon millennia of tradition, and was not necessarily the fairest to women. It was changed only by precedent that was then repeated later on, recognizing the actions legitimacy. The Queen herself was the subject of such an issue, being an adopted child instead of being born of their stepmothers marriage. It weakened her hold on the Satin, and was occasionally whispered about at in the dark corners of Duren Palace.

"I'm not sure," Manu admitted. "But he would certainly have the military force to support his attempt."

"So we would secure my right to the throne," the Queen summarized. "Only to risk losing it later to my husband."

Manu nodded. "However, the potential of a united Katolis and Duren kingdom could far outweigh those risks. For House Amin to be merged with the Katolis dynasty in such a way would be such an incredible event."

"Do you care?"

Manu paused. "I'm sorry?"

Aanya looked at him, her pale yellow eyes curious. "Do you care about the dynasty of House Amin?"

Manu was still confused at the question. "Aanya, I'm afraid-"

Aanya got up from her seat and turned to face the window behind her. Here, in the tall tower that was the royal quarters, one could look down at the open arches of the Satin Hall where, even in her absence, the nobles of the Duren court congregated. The blue embroidered silks draped over the arches twisted gently in the summer breeze. Beyond the Satin Hall, one could still see the farmers in the fields of Duren, hard at work. The fields around the Palace were halfway harvested, now. Workers would be starting to rotate to other, farther fields, ignorant of the politics they would be leaving behind as they moved away from the Satin.

"Our step-uncle is dead, and his two sons died in the famine that our stepmothers sacrificed themselves to end. We are the only two surviving members of House Amin, and we were not even born to it. We were adopted." Aanya turned around, and with the light from the window behind her, her crown gleamed with golden light. Manu had never seen the young Queen appear more regal. "House Amin is important, but only to the nobles who care about their own dynasties and houses. The people out there, Manu," The Queen pointed behind her at the window. "It doesn't matter to them who sits on the Satin, so long as they are fair and protect their people."

Aanya took a few steps forward towards Manu. "We were adopted, Manu," Aanya repeated. "In the eyes of the other Houses, we aren't even really Amin. We're just normal people."

Manu decided now would not be the time to share his secret identity with the Queen. Some other day, maybe.

"So, do you care about House Amin?" Aanya asked again. "Because I'm not so sure that I do."

Manu remembered how, years ago, Aanya had once been a young child who was afraid of the dark and needed him to hold her while she cried herself to sleep at night, mourning the loss of their stepmothers. He wondered where time had taken that young girl.

He also remembered how the Queens had taken him in as one of their own, had loved him, had raised him, and given him every luxury and gift he could ever imagine. Their compassion was overwhelming, as was their sense of duty and justice for their people. Manu was uncertain if they ever let the noble Houses get in the way of doing what the Queens believed was right. When they went to ask the King of Katolis for help, it was against the wishes of the prideful Houses. When they adopted Manu, it was only accepted by the Houses because he was a male, even if they never saw him until he could pass as a human. A male could secure the dynasty, they believed. The naysayers who saw the danger in having two Queens and a lack of "proper" marriage between them conceded with the future of a male ruler on the Satin, who could have a proper wife and family.

Manu knew, deep down, how he felt about House Amin, and it was probably what Aanya wanted to hear. Unfortunately, his duty as her adviser meant he had to tell her what was in the best interest of the Kingdom of Duren, and not to the two of them personally.

"House Amin has ruled Duren for the last two centuries, and it is important for us to maintain that stability." It hurt Manu to say it, and he hoped Aanya would understand that.

Aanya pursed her lips, and her eyes narrowed just so slightly. "Thank you, Magister." The Queen said coldly. "You are dismissed."

Manu met the Queen's eyes, which were emotionless and plain. He bowed, knowing that he had consciously decided to put the needs of Duren before the wishes of his remaining family. As he left, he was not sure how comfortable he was with the choice.


	5. The Shade He Cast

Part One: What They've Sown

_The Shade He Cast_

Manu heard the door close behind him, but the noise was drowned out by the feeling inside him that Aanya had closed herself to him as well. He ignored the bows of the guards as he passed between them, and he was so centered in his thoughts as he walked down the stairs that he barely missed colliding with a servant carrying a pitcher of water. He knew what Aanya wanted him to say, that he agreed with her completely, but ignoring his obligation to House Amin was not as simple for him as it was for her. House Amin sheltered him, spared his life, and he had a obligation to serve it and protect it. Any other Queens would have killed him, an elf, without a second thought. Yet, he was spared, and raised with love.

Aanya did not know that Manu was an elf pretending to be human, and so there was no way she could understand the nuance of his obligation to House Amin. To her, it was just a name that was granted to her by their stepmothers. She did not care about the histories and traditions of the House. She saw the symbol of the House only as a beautiful flower, whereas Manu knew it to represent the cyclical nature of growth and death and then rebirth. Had he failed her, in her minority? He had not involved himself in her education because he himself had been learning during his Regency.

Not for the first time, he wished his stepmothers were still alive. That way, he would never have been made Regent a decade earlier than expected, and Aanya would be able to take her time in learning how to prepare herself for her time on the Satin. The Queens had never taught Manu what to do in case he had to become Regent - they were fortunate that the advisers they had in place knew what to do and helped keep the kingdom stable.

Manu paused in an alcove with a statue of a forgotten king. He put his back against the wall and let his feet slide forward until he stopped sliding down. He let his head fall back against the stone bricks, and closed his eyes. He wondered what it would be like to be a worker in the fields, and not have to worry about the seemingly minute troubles of royal life. Aanya was right: the people did not care about which House ruled from the Satin. How meaningful were the troubles of royalty, when the people outside the Palace walls worked just to put food on their table?

Manu was distracted by a sound coming from the corridor. He opened his eyes and poked his head from his alcove. A little ways down the hall, the wind was blowing open a window. Thinking nothing of it, Manu leaned back against the wall.

He turned to look at the window outside, and noticed that the trees were still, untouched by any wind.

He stepped out of the alcove just in time to see a purple miasma climb through the far window. He watched as it rolled onto the floor, dark mist falling from it. It rose, and Manu saw it form into a humanoid shape. The violet energies of dark magic shone in it's eyes, prompting Manu to draw his sword from it's sheathe. The magical creature tilted it's head, and then smiled, showing a dark mouth with no teeth. It raised a hand, which Manu noticed held a sick curved dagger of elven make.

Before Manu could shout for help, the figure charged at him. It moved faster than anything he had seen before; one moment it was on the far end of the corridor, the next it was leaping at him. He raised his sword and blocked the dagger before it could slash down on him. His arms shook with the force of the parried blow. The figure, still airborn, planted it's feet in the center of Manu's chest, and kicked off him, knocking Manu back onto the floor. He cursed as the impact of his head shook his vision.

He rolled to his right and pushed himself up off the floor, and barely brought his sword up in time to meet the dagger once more. The collision was celebrated by the clang of metal and sparks, as though it was the coming of a new year. He looked into the eyes of the shade as it watched him. He saw nothing there but the resolve of an entity created for only one purpose: to kill.

Manu twisted to the right, letting the dagger slide down his blade and send the creature stumbling a few steps forward. He tried to swipe at the shade's back, but it was too fast for him, and had already recovered. It came at him again, this time stabbing at his chest. He stuck his sword straight ahead of him, forcing the shade to change tactics or risk being impaled. It tried to flank to his left side, but Manu turned that direction and parried the swipe. While the creature was faster than Manu, Manu also had the speed and reflexes of an elf, even in his human disguise.

Manu considered using magic, his other innate elven skill, when a few guards ran around the corner. They had to have heard the commotion, Manu realized. Hopefully that meant the Queen was now protected as well.

The guards charged the shade, curved swords and small disc shields raised. They roared and slashed at the magical being, jumped and kicked, but wherever they tried to attack from, the shade retreated from. It was a being of energy, and they were flesh and blood weighed down by armor. Manu took a few steps back and watched the combat, trying to consider his options.

Raising his hand, he drew the moon glyph in the air. "Elevare torque!" He commanded, swiping with his hand to wisp the bright glyph into action.

Three brilliant white beams shot up from the floor, each aiming to grab the dark being. It looked down with wide purple eyes of surprise as a chain latched on to its leg. It snapped its weapon arm back before that too could be restrained, but its left arm managed to get caught. The being looked at Manu with furious eyes, small wisps of purple dark magic dripping from the sockets. It opened its mouth in a terrible shriek.

The guards looked at the creature, and then back at Manu. Manu knew they would not understand the nuances of magic, and would be ignorant of the knowledge that only elves could cast primal magic without the use of a primal source. Still, they were clearly hesitant of him, and took small steps back as he approached the creature.

He raised a hand, and gestured with his fingers. The magical chain that had missed returned and grabbed hold of the creature's other leg. Manu took a few steps forward, curiously examining his catch.

"What is it, Lord Regent?" One of the guards asked.

Manu did not bother to correct him. "Dark magic, certainly. But from where?"

"I bet it was the elves!" Another guard said. She jabbed her sword towards the shade. "We should kill it before it can escape!"

Manu pushed her sword down with the flat side of his own. "No," he told her. "Elves would not use dark magic." He spoke from his own experience, remembering how long it had taken him to overcome that taboo. "This is the work of man, not elf."

More guards arrived, these carrying long spears. They gingerly approached the scene, clearly late, but kept their spears pointed towards the chained shade. The shade's eyes narrowed, and it made swiping motions with it's only free arm. It hissed, catlike.

The captain of the guard approached Manu. He wore a blue cap with a single long feather jutting from his forehead, which twitched with each labored breath. "Your Highness," the Captain said, panting. "The Queen has been secured in her chambers."

Manu nodded, not taking his eyes off the dark creature. "Move her into the Palace cellar, away from any windows or openings to the outside. We do not yet know if there are more of these things out there."

The Captain nodded. "And what is this… thing, your Highness?" He sounded troubled, and in the corner of his eye, Manu could see that the man was nervously looking back and forth between Manu and the chained shade.

Summoning an illusion, Manu made his sword glow with bright light, and then drew the moon glyph in the air once more. He was careful around the Captain, who knew enough of magic to know that Manu should need a primal source. He had long since convinced the court that his sword was made from a fallen meteor, and was as such enchanted with the primal power of the moon. The tale came in helpful, during times like this.

"Exite!" Manu commanded, stabbing his sword through the center of the glyph and into the shade. The shade roared with what Manu assumed was pain, beams of white light starting to poke through the dark miasma that was the creature. It tossed it's head back and screamed at the ceiling, and then the smoky creature dissolved into the air and was no more. The chains of light Manu had commanded fell back into the floor, and his sword dimmed as well. The corridor was suddenly much darker.

Manu examined his sword and saw the scratches from the elven dagger that was now abandoned on the floor. "Whatever it is," he said, sheathing his sword. "We got lucky it didn't reach the Queen."


	6. As Above, so Below

Part One: What They've Sown

_As Above, so Below_

The catacombs under Duren Palace were not a pleasant place to be. The Kingdom of Duren was ancient, and life had changed immensely over the centuries. In the ancient past, Duren Hill, upon which Duren Palace now aptly rested, was the site of an ancient temple where sacrifices were a daily occurrence. Below the ancient temple were a series of passages and chambers, some of which the use eluded the current generations. Cattle, lambs, and the occasional human were slain there in offerings of prayer to the gods, and over the years, the scent of blood had seeped into the earth. Some of the rooms closer to the surface were used for storage, garrison, or holding prisoners, but the deepest corridors remained unexplored. As a result, the people of Duren were convinced that the catacombs were haunted, and even the bravest refused to go down to the lowest levels, fearing they could find an ancient beast or long forgotten magics.

Naturally, it was the safest place to go in all of Duren, and so it was where the Queen often was taken during emergencies.

The high vaulted chamber Manu stood in now was lovingly referred to as the Bonehold by the Palace Guard. There were no bones anywhere to be seen - they had been cleared out generations ago - but the name had stuck. It was practically tradition for the ruler of Duren to have to hide in the Bonehold at least once during their reign. Queen Aanya had hidden from assassins and coups in the chamber so many times over the past year that she had a second set of bedroom furniture brought in. The privy council had a permanent table in the center of the room, where they now sat.

Manu stood at the far end of the table, opposite the Queen. He kept from looking her in the eyes while he spoke, uncomfortable making direct eye contact given how their last conversation had ended. Regardless of his feelings, though, he had a duty to answer her questions as well as the rest of the privy council's.

"If the elves are sending magical assassins into the Palace, then an attack cannot be too far behind." Lord Ankar claimed, placing a flat hand on the table. He was the eldest son of Lady Ankar, and would be the head of House Ankar once she died. He was often the Queen's loudest supported on the council, but today he seemed eager to speak his mind first.

A dark man from further down the table, closer to the Queen, leaned forward so he could be seen. He wore the colors of one of the lesser houses, House Talika. "Our scouts have not reported any movement at the border, however, nor has the Kingdom of Katolis sent any warnings of an elven advance.: Manu tried to remember the man's name, but he could not. The hit to the back of his head was keeping him from thinking straight.

"I agree with you, Lord Talika," the Captain of the Guard said from where he stood by Manu. "However, Katolis had only a few hours warning in advance when Moonshadow Elves came to assassinate their king, and even then it was only due to luck. If the elves were plotting anything, I am not sure we would know."

Lady Sher, matriarch of House Sher and the mother of Lord Chanda Sher who had spoken in court the previous day, pointed an aged finger at the Talika from where she sat by Lord Ankar. Her sari was striped in a tigress' pattern. "Our scouts are Talika and Lakshita, so perhaps that is why they see nothing!"

Manu felt the Captain of the Guard next to him tense up. He was a distant member of House Lakshita, but even though he was sworn in service to the Queen, he clearly had some feelings of loyalty towards his House. Before he could open his mouth, Lord Talika had clenched his fist in rage.

"House Talika and Lakshita use magic to search for foreign threats in our lands, rather than send our levies out on foolish war parties into Xadia." Lord Talika sputtered in anger. "We are not wasteful with our people like the Sher, my Lady."

"Do we have any idea if there are more assassins, Captain?" The Queen asked, making a point of neither looking or asking Manu, who would be the obvious choice to answer the question.

The Captain looked at Manu, clearly aware of this, and now aware that there was tension between the Court Magister and the Queen. "I am…" he started, likely reaching these conclusions while he spoke. "Unsure, your Majesty.

"Is there any way to track where the creature came from?" A noble woman asked from the far end of the table.

Manu considered it for a moment. "I do not think so, my Lady." He replied, bowing his head to avoid the eyes of the Queen. "If the shade had been kept in captivity, perhaps it would be possible; but, without knowing it's origin or having ever seen anything like it, the danger of keeping it here, in the Palace, was too great."

Lady Sher looked at Manu. "Are we sure the dagger was of elven make?" She asked, pointing to the curved blade that now lay in the center of the large table.

Manu nodded. "Yes, Lady Sher. I have compared it to other such weapons in our possession, and the make is the same. It is most certainly a Moonshadow blade."

"Was it not Moonshadow elves who recently attacked Katolis?" An inquisitive voice asked.

Manu kept his head bowed. "Yes, your Majesty." He responded.

There was silence for a moment. "Then could it be possible that this is an attempt to scare us, with dark magic and a captured weapon, to join Katolis in their strike against the elves?"

Manu thought about it for a few moments. After a year of foiled plots against her, the Queen was wise beyond her years - but he also knew she was beginning to grow paranoid. Trust was in short supply around the Palace, and he had lost hers himself.

"It is possible, your Majesty." He said finally. "If that is the case, then this was likely done before Lord Viren's imprisonment. I can think of no other mage in Katolis who would have the knowledge to command a mastery of dark magic that would be needed."

Manu looked up and made a glimpse of eye contact with the Queen before he was distracted by Lord Ankar starting to speak. Was it pain he saw, in those eyes? He could not tell, because once she noticed him looking, her face became a regal mask behind which his sister hid.

"Could this be the work of the College?" Lord Ankar suggested.

Lord Talika glared at Lord Ankar. The history of House Talika was closely intertwined with the Magisterial College - Talika might have been a lesser house, but they had been the owners of the lands surrounding the College for the last five centuries. The patronage House Talika gave to the College was the only thing that kept the College running, and was ironically the largest weight keeping the Talikas from ascending into higher political power.

"The College would never attempt to attack her royal Majesty!" Lord Talika countered.

"Not without the approval of the Talikas, at least." A sly voice said. Manu could not tell who it was.

"Outrageous!" Lord Talika roared. "House Talika is a loyal ally to House Amin, and has been since before…"

Manu stopped paying attention at that point. Lord Talika's words made him think. House Talika was an ally of House Amin - he did not say that they were allies of the Queen, but instead with her royal House. Manu thought back to his conversation with the Queen just hours ago. The noble Houses did not care about people, and that was the difference between them and the common people. The Queen was right, earlier, when she said that only the noble Houses cared who sat on the Satin throne; however, it was less of who the person was, but what House they belonged to. The upper echelons of Duren society had a longer view of history than everyone else. They planned out alliances and marriages generations in advance, making their plays for political power openly for everyone else to see.

The result was a series of connections between all of the noble Houses that meant that it would always be a tug of war for power between them. The reason why the nobility hated the Queen was because she was an outsider who had no interest in playing their game. She represented a new way of life to them, and to the noble Houses who had spent centuries working their way to their current positions, it could be devastating. The Queen's youth was of no bother to the Houses - it was her blatant refusal of their way of life.

Manu realized his minor success as Crown Regent was from his willingness to play the game. He was political - that was how he thought. He could see the intricate lines between people and relationships, tell what it was they wanted, and determine who should be trusted and who should be watched. It came naturally to him. It was all one large illusion, because none of it mattered. It was magic of a different flavor.

He was not confident in the Queen's ability to secure the position of House Amin. It was a concerning thought, and in Manu's mind it was on the border of treasonous; but he convinced himself that it was alright because he still believed that she would be a good Queen. He was certain, though, that it would be up to him to protect the legacy of House Amin. It was a daunting task, and one he was certain the Queen would not approve of.


	7. Fortune Favors the Bold

Part One: What They've Sown

_Fortune Favors the Bold_

Manu tried not to make his swift departure at the end of privy council too obvious. He rarely stayed and spoke with anyone besides the Queen, and as he had fallen out of grace with her Majesty, he had no reason to stay behind. His thin robes and the cold air of the catacombs kept him alert as he climbed stairwell after stairwell to the Palace. His mind was moving much faster than his body, making connections and seeing possibilities with every step he took.

He stepped out of the catacombs, finally, and took a breath of fresh air. The aroma of dried wheat from the harvests was intermingled with the sweet scent of oranges from a nearby tree. Manu did not focus for too long on the entrancing smells; his mind soon shifted and he recalled how, years ago, the fields in which the grain around Duren Palace had once been the property of House Amin. During the famine seven years ago, the Queens had been forced to sell the majority of the possessions of House Amin in an effort to fund the food distribution efforts of the Crown.

Manu started following the path leading up to the Palace, and stopped on a stone ledge that overlooked the fields. House Ankar owned the fields and groves now, and House Lakshita owned the towns that used to be fiefs of the Amins. Manu bit the inside of his cheek as he wondered whether the Ankars would be willing to sell back the fields. They would probably offer a fair price, but he had no idea how much money House Amin had left. As Regent, he never even considered taking the time to look into the financial upkeep of their House - he was assured that someone else would be taking care of that instead. A year ago, when the Queen took the Satin after reaching the proper age, he had been so caught up with the assassination attempts by Houses Chamakeela and Naag that he had never been able, or interested, in shifting his focus from security to domestic matters.

Now, the Queen seemed able to handle herself, and so Manu was able to think about other things.

He racked his brain, trying to think of ways to gain influence for House Amin. To gain influence, he first needed gold. People respected gold because, unlike influence, it was something physical. He could hold gold in his hand, and could trade it with anyone. Influence was a commodity that not everyone would accept, and it always had drawbacks. If he used his influence to get land, he would owe a favor to someone. If he bought the land from them, he would owe them nothing. At the moment, he had no real influence outside of his powers as Court Magister.

He considered, for a brief moment, offering the noble Houses his talents with dark magic. He could easily cast spells over their crops to make them stronger and healthier - or could do less virtuous things for them like assist them in spying on the other Houses. Although he certainly was capable of doing those things, but he knew that once he opened that door, it would be hard to close. The nobles would flock to him, and although he would certainly have influence, he would also have a very large target on his back. He knew that House Sher, the loudest objectors to the usage of magic in any circumstance, would see it as almost heretical. They might even try to have him burned at the stake.

He looked down at the stones in contemplation, when he noticed a small purple flower poking up through a crack. He looked at it for a few moments, and then was reminded of another purple flower that grew in Duren.

His plan was only half baked when he found the royal chamberlain in his cramped and dark office. The room was lined with bookshelves with bound reports from floor to ceiling, and the smell of ink was overpowering from the moment someone approached the doorway. The royal chamberlain was a sickly looking man with a long nose, tiny eyes, and his dark skin was speckled with pale white blotches. He was the great-uncle of Lord Talika, and had served as chamberlain for the Amin rulers for the past thirty years. He looked up from behind massive spectacles as Manu strode in.

"Moti," Manu exclaimed. "I need your help."

Motiwala Talika took Manu in for a few moments. Manu wondered sometimes if his massive glasses could see through his human disguise. Manu had known Motiwala since he first arrived at court under his illusion, and had relied on his services as chamberlain during his time as Regent. All of Duren was indebted to Motiwala for his wisdom and patience, and Motiwala was too humble to ever acknowledge it.

"Your Highness," He greeted, his voice nasally and raspy with age. "How can I help you today?" He put down his quill and placed the feather on the piece of parchment he had been writing on.

"Are the Chamakeela estates still under impound by the Crown?" Manu asked, rocking back and forth on his heels.

The Talika raised an eyebrow and peered over his rims at Manu. "I do believe so, your Highness. The tax collectors just came in the other day. Was your Highness not listening to the financial reports in Council yesterday"

Manu shook his head. "That's not important-"

"Oh, his Lordship the Treasurer might disagree."

"Are the fields still workable?" Manu asked, hoping that the stars would be in alignment for him and House Amin.

Motiwala leaned back in his chair. "Yes, your Highness. They are still being worked, as a matter of fact. The harvests are underway for the summer crops, and the spices seem to be healthy and strong." He raised an eyebrow. "Are you considering leaving the court and becoming a farmer, your Highness?"

Manu could not help but smile. He was too giddy with the news, and Motiwala's snark always made him grin. "How much would it cost to purchase the estates?" He asked.

Motiwala was silent for a few moments. His fingers tapped against the wooden table. Manu had long since learned that Motiwala always had an answer to every question imaginable, and whenever he was slow in a reply, it was because he was worried about what his answer might inspire.

"Your Highness," He said finally. "The estates are already property of the Crown, and therefor, by extension, they are property of House Amin."

Manu waved his hand. "Right, Moti, but I want to know how much it would cost to purchase the estates."

Motiwala was silent for a few more moments. "Your Highness, it would be illegal for you to sell the estates-"

Manu raised a finger to interrupt. He only dared be so rude with the royal chamberlain because their relationship had long since passed the point of either of them caring. "How much would it cost to purchase the estates, Moti?"

The chamberlain sighed, and rubbed the bridge of his nose with his fingers. "The last estimate was at sixty thousand golden crowns, your Highness. But," he admitted quietly, almost muttering to himself. "The estimate is believed to be grossly low."

Manu ran numbers in his head, something he was not very good at doing. "Moti," he started to ask. "Do you have any idea how many Crowns are in the treasury of House Amin?"

Motiwala reached over to one of the large leather books on his desk. He opened it with a thump, and hummed to himself as he flipped through the pages. Manu could not read his expression, but he hoped that his friend approved so far of what Manu was planning. Manu occasionally had wild plans during his Regency, and Motiwala had helped the most realistic of them be successful. He hoped that, even after his Regency, he could still rely on the Talika to be a strong ally.

A long ginger was placed on a crisp black number in the ledger that Manu was too far to read. "Fifty five thousand Crowns, with a regular payment of five hundred yearly to pay for the remaining staff at Fort Amin."

Manu felt himself bite the inside of his cheek again. He was close, very close. He could sell his villa, which would easily get him two thousand crowns, but then he would still be short three thousand. His salary as Court Magister was barely anything impressive, and he never received any sort of royal allowance. The kingdom was still in financial struggles from the famine years earlier, and during his Regency, Manu had refused profusely to take any loans from any of the noble Houses, afraid of being indebted to any one House down the line.

"Your Highness," Motiwala said slowly. He looked down his glasses once more at Manu, clearly intrigued. "You are aware that her Royal Majesty, Queen Aanya, could simply grant you the Chamakeela estates?"

Manu kept his face neutral and debated whether or not he would let Motiwala, his longtime friend and advisor, into his confidence about his current standing with the Queen. "I'm worried about how that might be perceived by the other nobles at Court," was all he said, deciding not to risk anything. "It would appear that House Amin was showing preference to it's members."

The royal chamberlain scratched his noise, seemingly satisfied. He understood the fragile politics at court, even though he refused to take part of them. "It has, however, been done in the past; but I do see your point." He tapped his fingers on the wooden table, staring intently at Manu as though he wished to say something. He was clearly deep in thought, and he pursed his lips in the way that Manu had gotten all too used to seeing whenever Motiwala wanted to say something but considered it inappropriate.

Manu slowly nodded down with his head and raised his eyebrows. "Yes, Moti?"

Motiwala bit the corner of his lip, clearly uncomfortable. "Your Highness, if you really wish to purchase the Chamakeela estates," he started slowly. "You should consider carefully that the young Lord Chamakeela is still residing with House Sher. You'll remember he was found innocent of the plots of his family, and I suspect he dreams of one day returning home and cleansing his House of their crimes."

Manu remembered the trial, and remembered the horror on the face of the youngest Chamakeela as his family was put to death. The entire House, including the wives and elders, were found guilty of conspiring and attempting to assassinate Queen Aanya using dark magic. Only the youngest, Pratishtha Chamakeela, was declared innocent because he had spent the previous two years in the army and had been stationed near Xadia when the plotting was found to have begun. He was summoned back to Duren for the trial, and was present at the hanging of the rest of his family. Manu felt sorry for him, and was glad when Queen Aanya decided he would be able to keep his noble title and privileges, even though all the Chamakeela holdings were to be taken over by the Crown.

Manu had to admit he had not considered the surviving Chamakeela when considering his plan. "I'm not worried about him." He claimed. "Although he may be under the Sher's roof at the moment, if they truly wanted to help Lord Chamakeela rise back to power, they have more than enough gold to purchase his former estate from the Crown."

Motiwala nodded, and Manu noticed he was still looking as though he had something to say. "What else is there, Moti?" He asked his friend.

Motiwala sighed. "If your Highness truly wished to purchase the Chamakeela estates," he began. "I could speak with my brother about the possibility of giving you a loan of a few thousand Crowns. I would only speak with him, though," Motiwala looked down his glasses at Manu, and he suddenly felt as though he were a boy again and he was being scolded for throwing something at a noble at court. "If your Highness were truly serious about serving as Lord of the estates and the people."

Manu thought about it. He understood the concern that the chamberlain might have at his ability to lord over the fief. He was young, and ruling a fief was a task that took advisers and strong relations with the workers who lived on the land. The current mayors would be able to run the towns, but Manu would have to find a bailiff and other people to maintain the farming and maintenance. Manu knew he would be diving in to unknown waters. He knew he should think about it more.

"I think I would like to speak with Lord Talika more about this." Manu said, smiling through his inner turmoil.


	8. The Man in the Mirror

Part One: What They've Sown

_The Man in the Mirror_

Manu paced in his study. It was a large room with bookshelves filled with scrolls, ancient tomes, and strange magical artifacts that had been brought to him by nobles who had no use of them. On the floor was a red mat upon which Manu spent most of his time - he hated sitting at desks, and so more often than not he spread his reading out on the floor. Papers and books were now strewn across said mat, ranging from inspirational tales of leadership and dull treatise on the proper management of a fief. Manu read them with equal interest, as he loved to read and learn. He had read every book in the Duren Palace several times over, which was not saying much as it had a very small library, and could recall most of them with accuracy. He preferred books to people, enjoying quiet contemplation much more than he did the company of others.

He stopped pacing and looked at himself in a mirror which hang on the wall. He looked at his natural elven markings: one long purple stripe that dropped from his right brow to his cheek, appearing like a dark scar. His pointed ears poked out from his hair, which was down and not in it's usual single tail down his back. His horns poked from the top of his head, and were by far his most noticeable elven feature. He forgot, sometimes, that he was not a human. He spent so much time with them and disguised as one that it was hard for him to see himself as anything other than a man. He spent most of his life with mankind, and although he still felt an affinity towards the elven race, he did not see himself as owing any loyalty to his own people. In his mind, the people of Duren were his people. His parents were the departed Queens of Duren, and they were the only ones he could remember.

It did not bother him, he realized, as the face in the mirror rippled and turned into his human disguise. He was too much a pragmatist to spend any serious time mulling over his former life. His place was here, in Duren. His focus now had to be on his new life, and rebuilding House Amin. He owed that to his stepmothers.

There was the matter of the potential loan from the Talikas. Manu raised a hand and summoned an illusion of Motiwala's brother, the Lord Talika who had spoken in defense of the Magisterial College in the emergency council meeting earlier that day. The dark man, muscled and towering over Manu, stared blankly and lifelessly at the bookshelves. He wore the same dark blue, knee-length jacket he had worn in the meeting.

Manu circled around him. "What would this get you, my Lord?" He asked the illusion, knowing full well it would not answer him unless he commanded it and gave it words to say. He tried to think of what the answer to his question would be. House Talika supported both House Amin and the College, of which Manu was both a part of. A loan from them was less concerning than a contract with a less friendly House, such as the Shers or the Aaivees, both of whom were openly critical of the Crown in court.

Lord Talika would gain Manu as an ally, certainly. Any loan towards the purchase of the Chamakeela properties could easily be paid off after the first harvest of saffron, which was only grown in Duren, and only there it was grown in the former Chamakeela fief. The more arid climate near the Neolandian deserts made it perfect for the cultivation of the small violet flowers in large quantities. The Chamakeelas made their fortune off the rare spice, which they then lost when they forfeited their property, freedom, and eventually their lives.

The Talikas would know how easily it would be for Manu to pay them back. This meant that the loan could either be a gift at face value, or it would somehow compound into a series of favors down the line. Manu could not be sure which it was. Motiwala was a trusted friend, but on this matter, Manu could not ignore that he was an elder member of House Talika, and looked out for his own family's interest. That did not bother Manu, as he recognized and respected that his own actions were for similar reasons.

It was important to note, though, that the offer came from Motiwala first, and he did not wait to discuss it with his brother, the Lord Talika, to see what the head of the House would say first. That made Manu's elven ears tingle, a sign that there was more to the situation that met the eye. He suspected that House Talika was desperately looking for a way to elevate their positions among the noble Houses, likely worried that their stagnant status at present would be seen as opportunity by the greater Houses.

Manu realized the irony in his consideration of the noble Houses in terms of lesser and greater Houses. He was hardly in a place to make judgments about who was lesser and who was greater; all that House Amin their name currently was the Queen, an almost abandoned Fort, and a scheming elf.

Pushing those thoughts aside, he decided he would meet with Lord Talika. He could speak to him, figure out any other terms of the loan, and then make a final decision. Manu also knew it would not hurt to consider his other options. As an illusionist himself, he knew that when things were too good to be true, they often were.

Manu left his papers and books on the floor as he closed the door to the study and climbed the stairs to the kitchen. He never worried about the cleanliness of his hidden room because he was the only one to ever see it. His general housekeeping followed the same philosophy: he kept the rooms clean that people would see if they happened to visit. If he had surprise guests, he could always just cover any mess with an illusion or too. Magic came in very handy.

He poured himself berry wine and began to slice vegetables for a light dinner. He rarely ate meat when at home, as it was hard to transport up the mountain and then keep fresh. If he ate meat at all, it was only when he was at the Palace for lunch or if he was at an event. He had long since learned that humans loved to eat meat at every opportunity.

He brought his salad and drink out onto the balcony as he often did, and sat in peace as the warm Duren night buzzed with nocturnal noise around him. The crickets chirped their melodious conversations while the night birds sang to each other from the treetops. The mystical glow of fireflies could be seen down in the fields, twinkling with an eerie green light brighter than the stars were above.

Manu looked up at the moon. It would be two days until it was full, which meant that he would be at the height of his natural power. He made sure to stay secluded during these times, because although his illusions were stronger, he also enjoyed not having to use them. With his horns and ears under the full moon, he felt honest and truthful about who he really was.

He considered what he would do once he purchased the Chamakeela fiefdom. He would probably start with an inspection of the Fort, which he knew was one of the most elegant of all the Houses. During the trials of the family, he had been one of the investigators tasked with finding evidence of the plot against her Majesty. The walls of the Fort were tall and strong stone brick, and within them was a large castle about half the size of the Duren Palace. He never viewed them with envy, not knowing how he could possibly use all that space.

He knew that he still did not know. Even if he had all his possessions moved from the villa to the Fort, he would be able to fit maybe two or three rooms. He bit his cheek as he mulled over the other costs he would have to incur as a result of furnishing the remainder of the Fort. He would have to purchase new banners and flags with the symbols of House Amin, enough for the whole fief to display, and then he would have to hire staff for the Fort. Guards, servants, and he would have to find advisers and stewards to help him manage the day to day operations of the fief.

He sipped his berry wine absentmindedly. If the fief was still paying taxes to the Crown, it stood to reason that the fief had a remaining treasury that it was paying it from. He felt wrong, considering using the money from the near-extinct Chamakeela family to convert their holdings to House Amin's, but it was foolish to let the money go to waste. Besides, he had little to worry about from the last remaining one.

His horns hurt, a bad omen, and he rubbed the bases with one hand.


	9. The Peacock Lord

Part One: What They've Sown

_The Peacock Lord_

The next morning, Manu dressed in his finest attire. He wore a long white jacket with blue and gold embroidery in the style of House Amin, sandals, and a silver circlet around his brow with a large diamond resting in the center. On his finger he proudly displayed the golden signet of House Amin. It felt strange wearing it after so long - during his Regency he had to use to royal seal instead - and he was very lucky it still fit his thin fingers. He grabbed his sword sheathe and took the time to admire his long thin blade before sliding it in. It had a large silver basket around the hilt to keep his hand safe, and although it appeared to be a ceremonial weapon, he found it could hold it's own against most opponents. He certainly never tried to parry any hammers or flails with it - those weapons, uncommon in Duren anyways, he was fast enough to stay out of their range. He had made it a high priority to study the ways of combat during his Regency, as he would never know when he would have to defend himself. Ironically, it was only after his Regency that he ever found the occasion to put his skills to the true test. Interesting, he mused, how so much had changed since then.

After a quick look in the mirror to satisfy himself of his appearance, and then conjuring his disguise, he set off down the mountain. It was a nice morning, and it was a good time to relax as his horse, long since accustomed to the route, did most of the work. He was able to let his mind wander to other things, such as his final plans for his villa. The Chamakeela estates with much farther away from the Palace, and he would need to spend the majority of his time there now if he was to to rebuild the Amin legacy. The court would not suffer without him. After his meeting with Lord Talika, he could stop by the College and tell them to send a temporary Magister to serve in his place. He knew he should probably clear that with the privy council first, but he really was not interested in their opinions on the matter. He had a duty to his House, and whether they admitted it or not, they would understand.

He looked over the edge of the path and saw Duren pass slowly below him. The harvests were almost done around the Palace, which stood lonely with it's green domes and sandy columns on the top of it's hill. Bound clumps of wheat dried in the sun, likely ready for collection. The carts would be rolling through the fields soon, collecting the wheat and taking it to the threshers and mills to be turned into flour. From his recollection, the Chamakeela had grain fields that were should be near the ends of their harvesting, assuming they were being tended at all. He really had no idea of their state, but if the price for the property was only sixty thousand Crowns, he suspected there was not much going on.

It took about an hour to reach the Talika Fort, but he saw it about twenty minutes before. It sat kindly in the crook of a river that flowed through the Duren plains, and it had beautiful blooming trees all around it. The Fort itself was not as impressive as those of the other noble Houses, but it was still worth seeing. It was spread out over a large swathe of land, and the red walls were decorated with ornate patterns and glyphs that Manu recognized as being primal magical signs. He doubted the walls were enchanted in the slightest, but he stayed clear of them in case he were wrong. The guards on the walls recognized his approach, and when he passed the first corner of the Fort, he saw a runner sprint out of the tower and run the length of the wall and then disappeared down a staircase that Manu could only assume was there.

When he turned the next corner, he saw that the gate to the Fort was manned by at least ten guards all in their full ceremonial armor. Their chainmail coats glistened under bronze chestplates, and each of them held onto spears with their ends planted firmly into the dirt road. Manu noted how they wore the peacock skirts of House Talika - the noble House was renown for their long skirts styled to appear as though they were made of the bird's beautiful feathers. It seemed an overboard indulgence to Manu, who knew that the blue and green dyes used were on the pricier side, but if that was how the Talika wished to spend their Crowns, then he was not going to tell them to stop.

He turned his horse, a bit skittish around the sparkling soldiers, to walk between the gates. Just beyond them he could see the inside of the Talika household - a single fountain bubbled softly in the middle of a large sandy courtyard. The keep was made of the same red stone the walls were, but it was surprisingly plain and less ornate. He could see no glass windows, but instead many open walkways and rooms with parts exposed to the elements. He saw servants and guards roaming inside the keep, going about their business while wearing the blues and greens of House Talika.

A boy ran up to him from just beyond the inside of the gate. "Can I take your horse, mi'lord?" He asked, looking up at Manu, and then down at his sword, with awe.

Manu resisted the urge to ruffle the boy's hair. "Of course," he said, his mind flicking for a moment to his line of thought a few days before about what his horse would reveal if it were spoken to. It seemed such a strange and bizarre idea, but in the world of magic, it was a real possibility. He slid off the side of the horse and handed the reins to the stable boy.

He watched the child lead his horse away until he heard the sand shift behind him. He turned to his side to see Lord Talika, the tall dark skinned man from Council the day before, approaching him. He wore long blue robes with green detailing that seemed somehow less ornate than the other Talika attire he had seen so far.

"Lord Amin," the peacock Lord said, bowing. His voice was deep and crisp, with every syllable clipped off right at the end.

Manu bowed back. "Unfortunately I'm not a Lord, but I thank your Grace for your kindness." He has long since gotten used to other nobles assuming he had any formal titles other than Royal Magister.

"Nonsense, Magister," Lord Talika said, smiling and showing pristine teeth. "From what my brother tells me, you will become a Lord soon enough, yes?"

Manu smiled back, flipping the switch in his head to speak and understand the political double-speak used by the nobility of Duren. It was a seemingly pristine and clean language where context was everything and deceit somehow wormed it's way into every sentence. "Perhaps, but perhaps not, your Grace." He said. "I am just exploring options for the Amin House."

Lord Talika's perfect smile faltered for just a moment, and then it returned. "House Talika would be honored to assist the royal House, Magister."

Manu understood what he meant: as long as House Amin remained in power, the Talikas would remain loyal to them. It was a common sentiment in Duren politics. It was the reason why it was so important that the Satin stayed Amin. The Amin estate and finances could be in ruin, but so long as they held on to the Satin Throne, they controlled the kingdom.

Manu smiled, trying not to consider how things would fall apart should House Amin lose the Satin. "You are more than kind, Lord Talika." He said, bowing once more. "You must show me your incredible estate."

Lord Talika smiled back, clearly eager to show off his wealth. "Of course, Magister!" He said, beaming. "I would be honored to show you our modest household."

Manu followed the tall man between the large doors of the keep. The first thing he saw was, of course, a large golden peacock statue in the center of the room, with two large staircases to either side that curved to a second floor. Blue and green tapestries hung from pillars, all with the symbol of House Talika proudly displayed. Empty sets of armor flanked doorways, showcasing more of the peacocked extravagance that Manu could easily recognize was an attempt to overcome the lesser status of the House. He came to realize that every room in the estate was likewise decorated - the bright decorations and open spaces were designed in such a way to keep one from seeing that the infrastructure of the place was in need of maintenance and, in some places, repair. Even the trees in the garden bore fruit that had long since ripened but still remained untouched, clearly more desirable for decoration than for harvest.

He suffered through the tour of the grounds for over an hour while making idle and unimportant conversation with Lord Talika. The Lord made a few attempts to pry into the details of Manu's relationship with the Queen, to no avail, both because Manu evaded the questions and because he did not think he had much of a relationship left to speak about. Manu, likewise, tried to discern if House Talika was in need of anything specific that would help them in their climb to higher status, but all he really got in return were some cryptic comments about needing to "spread their wings more." Lord Talika was clearly an expert at keeping his cards to himself, which would be of use to him on his House's path to greatness.

It was when Manu sat across from him in the garden, though, with the sound of the river just outside the walls flowing in the background, that he finally realized Lord Talika's problem. "Your Grace," he said, gesturing with his goblet of wine. The Talikas were wine and olive oil makers, and he had already gotten a fair sampling of both products during the tour. The oil was nothing incredible, but the wine was excellent. "I could not help but realize I did not get a chance to meet Lady Talika, or any of your children. Are they around?" He asked.

Lord Talika stalled for a moment, taking a slice of fruit from a platter and biting it. He seemed so preoccupied with the action that Manu could not help but wonder if he had found an awkward opening in the Talika facade. When the Lord finally looked up at Manu, his eyes were strangely distant. "I wondered if you would mention it." He said, voice softer than before. "I must admit to you, Magister," the peacock Lord started, "that my family spends most of their time running the fief and making sure that everything runs smoothly during the harvest." He took a sip of wine, prompting Manu to do the same. The white wine had hints of apples to it's flavoring, which bothered Manu just so slightly. Still, it was good.

"During the winter months, we focus on our olive groves." Lord Talika continued. "During the summer, the vineyards. During the months in between, we focus on our townships. I only have so many siblings and children," he confessed. "And it is hard to manage all the tasks we must do."

Manu nodded, understanding somewhat. Not from his own experience, of course. "Have you considered letting promoting some of the commoners to help with the management?" He asked, knowing it was a fairly common practice. The greater Houses viewed the practice with disdain, believing that only members of their dynasty could be trusted to run the affairs of the family.

Lord Talika shrugged. "I worry about the appearance. I do not want to make it seem to the other Houses that we can not handle our own business." His honesty with Manu was surprising; for someone so concerned about appearances, openly admitting that times were tough to Manu seemed a strange contradiction. Manu had rarely interacted with Lord Talika before today, and he certainly did not see himself as being a part of the man's circle of friends.

Manu knew, though, that if he were to purchase the Chamakeela estate, and begin to rebuild House Amin, he would need allies, friends, and more importantly, money from somewhere. It was with those thoughts in mind that he put a sympathetic expression on his illusionary face. "Lord Talika, I think we could help each other." He said, ready to dispense with the double-speak of politics and tradition and get down to business. "What can House Amin do for you?"

Lord Talika put his goblet of wine down and looked at Manu with pleading, dark eyes. "Marry my daughter." He said.

Manu looked at him for a few moments.

"Oh." He replied.


	10. Eyes of the Tiger

Part One: What They've Sown

_Eyes of the Tiger_

Lord Talika gestured with his hand, and Manu turned his head to watch as a woman, probably only a year or two younger than himself, stepped out of the shadows of an open archway. He was surprised that he had not noticed her before, or even had some quiet inkling of her presence. Her skin was dark and her hair was shaved close to her her. She wore a simple sleeveless dress of deep blue silk and emerald embroidery. On her arms, which Manu noted were incredibly toned, were golden armbands that almost looked as though they were intended to keep her muscles from growing any more. Her jawline was motionless, and she did not smile.

It was her eyes, however, that caught Manu's attention. They were a dark orange fire that looked at him without any passion, any emotion. They were the eyes of a tiger, and in her mind, he could be her prey. He suddenly felt very unsafe.

Still, he smiled, as was expected. He turned to Lord Talika and nodded his head. "My Lord," he said, knowing that his illusionary face would keep all his inner turmoil and concern from showing. "You do me a great honor with this offer." He rose and bowed to the tigress, as was custom.

"He does you no such thing." The girl said. Her voice was melodious and Manu found it enthralling, even though it was clearly hostile. There was steel to it. "He trades me to you in hopes a husband will tame his wayward daughter." She turned to look at her father, and crossed her arms. "Is that not true, father?" She asked, her eyes aflame. "Do you not want me out of your house, so that I can be someone else's problem?"

Lord Talika sipped from his wine, clearly accustomed to this type of attitude from his daughter. He seemed to have expected this reaction. "Magister, I present to you my daughter, Chaya Talika."

Manu rose from his bow. The girl was the same height as him, and was built more like a soldier than she was a traditional noble woman. She did not look at him, instead focusing her fury on her father. "Do you think to sell me to the highest bidder like you did with my sisters?" She asked, clearly on the warpath. "I will not be treated like cattle!"

Manu looked from Lord Talika, who signed and took a very long drink of wine, and the girl, Chaya Talika, who appeared ready to pounce. When her father set down his goblet he refilled it form the jug on the table. "You need to take a husband of some statue, and the Magister here is the brother of Her Majesty, Queen Aanya of House Amin. It is an incredible honor for you to even get the opportunity to-"

"I do not need to marry!" Chaya shouted, taking a dangerous step closer to her father. Without thinking, Manu's hand dropped to his sword, but he stopped himself from grabbing the handle in case he offended the Talikas.

"My Lady," he said diplomatically. "I am sorry if my presence here is of any offense to you," he said truthfully, "but you must understand, your father merely brought the idea up in our conversation - I had yet to hear further of it or to agree to it."

The tigress jerked her head to look at Manu with her flaming eyes, and she looked as though she wanted to tell him to shut up. After a tense moment, she looked down at the sheathe on his hip, and then at his hand, and she blinked. Strangely, her face turned to one of composure and, Manu might have imagined it though, a glimpse of respect.

"Alright." She said, as though holding herself back from saying anything more.

Lord Talika took another swig of his wine. "Chaya is my last unmarried daughter, and you can see, she's clearly the least excited about it." Chaya opened her mouth to say something, but stopped when her father continued talking. "I promise you though, the strength of her tongue is outmatched by the strength of her arms and her skill with any weapon, human or elven. She is the best huntress in all of Duren, and the ferocity that can be found in her words is the same that I saw her unleash on her brothers when they were growing up. She can singlehandedly overcome any of my levies or guards, and she can chase down a horse before it gets too far. I wonder sometimes if her mother laid with some mythical hero to create Chaya, but I've been assured that was not the case."

Chaya raised her chin, giving Manu a strong view of the pride she clearly held in her accomplishments and talents. The description of her, however, did not inspire him to remove his hand from the vicinity of his weapon. She caught him looking at her, and held the eye contact. "My mother would have been wise to choose another to sire me," she said. "As my father is a coward who cares more for his wealth than his family."

Manu blinked, wondering if her tone was ever kind and complimentary, or if it was always so savage. "Your father clearly thinks the world of you, my Lady." He said, not sure what exactly was the appropriate response in this situation. He turned back to Lord Talika, who looked back at him with weary eyes, clearly worn down from years of this behavior. "I must beg your pardon, my Lord," He tipped his head. "But I did not come here with the expectation to leave an engaged man."

Lord Talika sighed. "No, I suppose you did not." He said, taking another drink of wine. "But along with my daughter, I will not only pay for the cost of a wedding, but I will include a dowry of twenty thousand Crowns, so long as you agree to give House Talika the sole rights to the Chamakeela vineyards, and you will also agree to never start farming olives on any of the lands of House Amin." Lord Talika was clearly concerned with maintaining his foothold in those markets, which was a fair concern, considering the Chamakeela lands were the perfect location for olive groves.

Manu bit the inside of his cheek. The idea of binding himself to House Talika was concerning for a number of reasons. Their status as a lesser House meant that, in the eyes of the other noble Houses, Manu would be marrying down the social ladder. If any of the noble Houses made hostile actions against the Talikas, House Amin, or at least Manu specifically, would be required by custom to act in the defense of his in-laws. He was also incredibly concerned with allying with a House so close with the Magisterial College, of which he was a high ranking member, because the College was supposedly meant to not interfere with the politics of the realm and was supposed to be independent of them.

More importantly, however, he did not want to marry. It was not out of protest that any arranged marriage would not be out of love, because he was not sure that he cared about love, but because he felt wrong marrying a human when he himself was only pretending to be one. The marriage vows in Duren were made with a magical bond over an earth primal stone, and therefor incorrigible. The vows ensured honesty between couples, and those partners that failed to follow them would find themselves suffering from a magical illness borne of the land itself.

Lord Talika looked at Manu expectantly. When an answer was not forthcoming, the dark man spoke up. "Magister, word has already gotten out by now that you have made inquiries into the cost of the Chamakeela holdings." His tone was not forceful, however his words certainly were. "Houses Sher and Ankar have already declared that they each intend to purchase the lands from the Crown, and the only thing preventing them from doing so is that my brother has come down with a terrible sickness that requires he be in bed and allowed no visitors."

Manu looked into Lord Talika's eyes and saw in them the recognition that Manu was right where he wanted him. Even though the deal was strongly in Manu's favor, Lord Talika clearly felt so strongly about this marriage that he made certain Manu would be in no position to decline it. The subterfuge could be respected, and under normal circumstances, Manu would not feel neither manipulated nor cornered. However, these were not normal circumstances, because honesty was something that Manu ironically valued highly. There were some aspects of his life he did not wish were illusions.

"If you would wish to speak with Her Majesty about this, I would not be adverse to hear her opinion on the matter." Lord Talika said, making Manu question whether or not his current relationship with the Queen had become public knowledge.

Manu shook his head, recognizing that he had not only been outplayed, but that there was no malice in it. He looked at Chaya Talika and saw that she realized, too, what her father had done. The fires in her eyes burst into life once more, but Manu spoke before she could say anything. "I would be humbled and honored to marry your daughter, Lord Talika."

He bowed, and as his eyes looked towards the ground, he wondered how long it would be before Chaya Talika killed him and buried him below it.


	11. Under the Starry Sky

Part One: What They've Sown

_Under the Starry Sky_

Manu sat at his kitchen table, unsure of how to feel. A tray of fruit, that he had cut without thinking, rested untouched on the wooden table. He sat in the darkness, with only the light of the moon illuminating the room. The drapes were pulled across the opening to the balcony, and for the first time, he realized how cramped the kitchen felt with them closed. He felt small, insignificant, and strangely naked without his human illusion.

He had been outplayed by the Talikas, and backed into a corner. He doubted his friend Motiwala had any idea that his brother would do such a thing. However, he could not be too sure. He would not blame his friend for acting in the best interest of his family, and would not hold it against him. Were the roles reversed, Manu knew he would have done the same thing. It was the spirit of the game that the noble Houses played with each other. There were no rules, only traditional guidelines.

The only comfort he felt was that his now fiance, Chaya Talika, was even more unhappy with the engagement than he was. After he had accepted, she had let loose her full primal fury onto her father, screaming and roaring obscenities at the Lord until he had nodded his head and politely dismissed Manu. The House steward had met Manu at the gate with a quill and ink and the terms of the engagement already drawn up. The entire thing was planned out to the end, Manu had realized as he signed the contract while still within earshot of the rampaging Chaya. When had finished with his signature and had affirmed it with the seal of House Amin, the steward handed him a sealed roll of paper which he informed Manu was a note for twenty thousand Crowns.

The roll of paper, with the blue wax seal of House Talika, sat on the far side of the table from Manu. He was almost sick to his stomach to touch it, but he knew that he would eventually have to do so in the name of House Amin. Not only did he know he had to use it, but he knew he also had to marry the tigress daughter of Lord Talika, and then, as was expected in aristocratic life, have children with her.

He felt his head slowly drop back and look at the ceiling. He did not even know if elves and humans could interbreed. It would be easier for him to tell Chaya he had no interest in sleeping with her and let that be that, even though it would bring immense shame to both of their Houses, and to her personally. The nobles would make jokes about it long after Manu's name faded away into history.

He closed his eyes, pushing his doubts and concerns out of his head and trying to focus on what his next steps needed to be. The next morning he would meet Motiwala at the Chamakeela Fort and then tour the properties and towns. It was a formality, as he already intended to purchase them, but it also made sure that Manu knew exactly what he would be getting himself in to. At the end of the trip, he would formally sign the papers and take ownership of the territory, with the exclusion of the portions that would be granted to the Talikas. Soon after that, he would meet with the mayors of the townships that would then be under his authority, and then he would meet with the managers of the fields. Somewhere along the line he would hire staff for the Fort, and move in there as was appropriate.

A week after that he would be married in a wedding ceremony that would change his life forever.

He opened his eyes and stared into the dark ceiling. With a wave of his hand, it disappeared, and he looked right up into the starry sky. The moon looked down on him solemnly, a big white eye that was almost fully opened. It was comforting in ways that he could not describe. It was warm, like the embrace of a friend, but it invoked a feeling of incompleteness in him that he had never felt before. It was as though a part of him was missing. He stared up into the night sky, wondering what it was that would make him whole.

A streak of light in the distance caught his eye. It glowed with a lavender light, and started out as a pinpoint in the night sky, but grew larger as it traveled across the night sky. A shooting star, he realized, a small smile fighting it's way onto his face. He traced the path of the star as it moved, and noted that it was growing larger as it moved overhead. He watched it, flummoxed, knowing nothing about the study of the heavens.

The light twinkled out of existence, and Manu frowned. It had felt like an omen, sent to him from the moon itself to give him comfort in his troubled times.

He almost missed the light flaring back into existence directly over his head, and he looked up just in time to see a lucent lavender, pale green, and royal purple cosmic beam shoot down in the night sky and soar between the mountain tops of Duren.

Manu's instincts kicked in, and all his troubles were forgotten. He sprinted to action, grabbing his sheathe that laid against the wall and sprinting out the door to his house. He stood under the starlight for a moment, revealing his elven form for all the stars to see, and then covered himself with his human form once he realized his error. He looked up at the sky at the right moment, and watched as the beam of starlight sailed down into one of the mountain valleys behind his villa. He heard a crackle of strange energy, unlike any he had heard before.

The night suddenly felt very warm on him, as though he had a blanket draped over his body. He looked up for a moment at the light of the moon, patiently watching over the land below. He felt his heart beat with unknown magic, and he knew in an instant that his entire purpose in life had just fallen down from the heavens, and the moon itself wished him to seize it.

Sprinting with elven speed in a human form, Manu sprung into the summer night. He leaped over stones and ducked under branches, refusing to let anything slow him down. His bare feet hardly touched the ground as he moved too fast to keep them in one place for long. His robes snapped around him, trailing behind him as though struggling to keep up. He leapt over a bush and interrupted a family of deer that jumped awake and looked at him, startled, but to him they were just a brown blur as he ran by. He felt the power of the moon giving him new life, and for the first time in a very, very long time, he felt as though he was truly an elf. He used the hand not holding his sword to grab onto a low branch, and he used his momentum to swing forward through the air.

The night was strangely quiet as Manu came to a stop on a rocky outcropping overlooking the valley. He had been here many times before; however, the normally serene and tranquil forest was marred tonight by a brightly glowing sphere in a patch of broken trees. Frightened birds flew away, and he could see other animals scurry away. Leaping down the rocks, he made his way down the mountain, somehow knowing with a primal certainty that his feet would find the safest and swiftest path. It was the moon magic, he was sure of it. It was powerful tonight.

He came to a stop at a bit away from the glowing orb. The ground around where it had hit was blackened from heat, although Manu could see no residual fire and saw no smoke. The orb was clearly pure energy, and it continued to crackle and spark with cosmic power. The hair on his arms stood on end, and goosebumps crawled over his skin. The air itself seemed to simmer as though the whole event was a mirage in the desert heat.

He put his hand on the hilt of his sword and took a few steps closer. Suddenly, the sphere disappeared with a strange low rumble, and the clearing disappeared from Manu's eyes as they struggled to adjust to the sudden darkness. He covered them with his free hand.

When he removed them, he had to rub them again to make sure he was seeing things correctly. A figure stood where the orb once was. Their skin was a strange dark lavender and their face had strange glowing diamond shapes below their eyes. The eyes were pale and glowed faintly with unnatural light. The most amazing thing though was that pale glowing dust seemed to drop from the figure's skin, and then twinkle out of existence like the stars themselves. The figure's long white hair was in a single braid down their back, and it seemed to radiate with the very light of the moon. They wore a strange robe-like garment with a pleated skirt that ruffled gently in a wind that Manu could not feel.

He froze, not knowing what to do. It was only after a few seconds that felt like hours that the figure seemed to notice him, and, in turn, Manu noticed the curved purple horns and the pointed lavender ears.

An elf.

"Step no closer, human." The figure said, her voice slow and rhythmic like a musical instrument. There was power there. "I will make your death a painless one."


	12. Stella Scintilla

Part One: What They've Sown

_Stella Scintilla_

Manu blinked in surprise, but drew his sword out of habit. Things had just gotten incomprehensibly weird. "I do not want to harm you," he told the strange elf. He could not remember seeing another elf before, as he barely had any memories that remained before his adoption by the Amin queens. He only recognized another elf because of the horns and pointed ears.

The figure raised a hand and pointed at Manu's thin blade. "You humans are so quick to draw your weapons." She said, her finger beginning to glow. Manu recognized it as magic, and as she began to trace a triangular glyph in the air, he knew he only had a few moments.

"Effigia!" He whispered hurriedly. Out from his body sprang duplicate images of him, and they sprinted through the clearing to surround the strange elf before she could finish casting her spell.

The elf tilted her head, processing this new occurrence. "A human mage with an arcanum." She said, voice level. "How quaint." She kept her finger suspended in the air, her bright glyph unfinished. "What is your name, mage?" She asked.

The real Manu spoke, but each of the illusions echoed his voice. "I am Manu, of the royal House of Amin, Court Magister of the Kingdom of Duren."

The elf raised an eyebrow. "Your usage of moon magic is very skilled, Manu of House Amin. It is a shame that I will have to kill you before I see any more."

She moved her glowing finger an inch, and then drew an arch over the triangle to complete the glyph. "Stella scintilla!" She commanded.

Purple sparks crackled into existence and burst out from her in every direction. Manu, the real one, managed to tuck and roll away in time before one could hit him, but the other illusions did not fare as well. The sparks pierced through them, and they faded into nothingness.

Manu recognized that he was outmatched in terms of magical prowess. He had no idea what other tricks the elf had in store, but he knew that there were more ways than one to win a fight. "Wait!" He cried. "I do not want to harm you." Proving his point, he dropped his sword to the ground and raised his hands to show he meant no harm.

The elf looked at him for a moment, keeping her finger raised and pointed at him. "No tricks, human, and I will ensure that your death remains a painless and swift one."

Manu bit his cheek, and then, for the first time since his adopted mothers left for their fateful mission to Xadia, he released the illusion he wore as a disguise and let another living being see him as he truly was. He felt his fake body drop from him like a silken veil, and he stood there in the moonlight not as a man, but as an elf. "I think we got off on the wrong foot." He said.

The elf looked stunned. Her glowing eyes widened, and her finger faltered. "You're an… elf?" She asked, voice wavering. "How can this be?"

Manu swallowed, knowing that he was still not yet safe. "I was adopted," he told her. "My parents were part of a raid into the Kingdom of Duren. They took me with them, but I was the only survivor."

The elf lowered her finger more. "So you were taken prisoner by the humans!" She exclaimed. "How could they do such a thing to a child?"

Manu shook his head, realizing for the first time that it was not only humans who had a skewed understanding of their ancient enemies. Ignorance and judgment was quick on both sides. "No, no." He countered. "I was taken in and treated fairly. Loved, even."

The elf looked at Manu for a few moments, and then raised her finger again, pointing it at him. "How do I know this is not some human trick?" She asked.

Manu resisted the urge to throw his hands up in the air in frustration. Elves could clearly be as stubborn as humans. "I've not tried to kill you, have I?" He reasoned, playing on the elf's clear distrust of humanity to hopefully convince her he meant no harm. "What is your name?" He asked, trying to make conversation to diminish the tension.

The elf blinked. "I am Miraya of the Startouch elves." She said cautiously, clearly not completely decided as to whether or not this was a trick. "I see from your markings and your horns that you are a Moonshadow elf?" She asked.

Manu nodded, keeping his surprise from his face. Startouch elves, from what he had read, were the rarest of all the elves. They drew their power from the cosmos, and not much else was known about them. The moon clearly meant for for him to be here, tonight. "I am." He said, feeling uneasy referring to himself as an elf when he was more comfortable in human culture. "I use moon magic to conceal my identity from the people of Duren, so that I can live a normal life among them."

"Are there more of you?" Miraya asked.

Manu shrugged. "How would I know?"

The Startouch elf looked at him for a moment, clearly confused at his attempt at humor. She finally lowered her finger. "I am sorry, Manu." She apologized. "I would not have challenged you had I known you were a fellow elf." She seemed genuinely regretful, and she frowned. "An elf in disguise as a man was the last thing I expected to see when I arrived in Duren."

Manu looked up at the stars. "So you meant to come here?" He asked. He did not know whether Startouch elves lived among the stars or whether they lived on the land in Xadia. After what he had seen tonight, either could be just as likely. His inquisitive nature yearned for him to ask Miraya all the questions imaginable.

Miraya nodded, her pale eyes closing for a moment and then opening to again reveal their faint glow. "I did." Her voice was soft, and Manu was pleased to see that elven body language was not too different than human body language; he noted how her weight shifted and her four fingered hands fumbled with the strange fabric of her clothing before she spoke next. He knew that whatever she said next would not be the truth. "I left Xadia to be able to see the rest of the world. Luckily for me," She smiled kindly. "I arrived next to a friend instead of a foe."

Manu smiled politely back, making up his mind to not trust this strange Startouch elf who had fallen from the sky. Something was off about her. He was comfortable with being lied to, because everyone deserved their secrets. However, the whole thing seemed off somehow. Still, he knew that others had likely seen her arrival into Duren, and he also knew that mankind were a curious lot and would likely come to investigate. He knelt and picked up his sword, and looked up at the elf. "Luckily for you." He repeated back. "Now we need to get you out of the open," he said. "And someplace where we can talk further."

Miraya's pale eyebrows raised for a moment, surprised. She knelt down too and picked up a dark bag that he had not noticed earlier. Then, she looked at him, and nodded. "Lead the way, Manu of the Moonshadow Elves." She then paused for a second, her thin lips turning towards. "Are there men up here who could find me?" She asked, concerned.

Manu shook his head. No one came up here, not even to hunt. However, after Miraya's magical entrance, he suspected more than a few curious people might come to investigate. "Just in case," He started, raising a hand and drawing the moon glyph in the air. "Evanesco!"

With a wave of his hand, the glyph burst into a glowing dust that fell onto Miraya, and he watched her fade away before his eyes. The last thing he saw was her pale eyes looking at him strangely, as though she had yet to make up her mind how to feel about him. He summoned his human form, and led the way back to his villa through the moonlit mountain woods.

As they walked, they did not speak. Manu was more focused on processing this turn of events, and he assumed that Miraya was concerned that making any noise would give her away to anyone watching them. Of all the places to come, why Duren? He knew that elves had many secret ways in and out of Xadia and into the human kingdoms, but he had never heard of a Startouch Elf falling from the sky like a comet. It had to be one of the most obvious methods of transportation he could imagine, which meant that the elf was either overly confident in herself or she was concerned about something else more than she was concerned about being seen. If it were the latter, he hoped that whatever she was running from would not reach the Kingdom of Duren.

It took longer than he liked, but they eventually reached the edge of the clearing where the small mountain spring gurgled and flowed peacefully into his small pond by the villa. The moon shone brightly into the water, almost begging Manu to jump in to it's beautiful light. He shook his head, weary of any more lunar thoughts into his head, especially tonight. When he opened his eyes, he saw a dark horse waiting outside his house, and his door was open.

He felt the space above his right shoulder grow warm. "Is something wrong?" Miraya whispered.

Manu's stomach churned. "No, no." He lied. "Everything is fine." He starting walking slowly towards his villa. "Just stay here and everything will be alright."

Miraya did not respond, and Manu assumed she understood. He looked at the saddle of the horse as he approached, and recognized the golden flower seal. He walked up the stairs and looked into the darkness of his kitchen. The shades to the balcony were pulled open, and he could see a shadow law across the blue light of the night. Gritting his teeth, he went inside and paused when he got into the kitchen, looking at the figure standing on the balcony facing away from him.

"Your Majesty," He said, putting as much formality into his voice as he could. "Had I known you were coming, I would have prepared refreshments."

The figure turned around, and the Queen looked at up at him with cold eyes. "Is that how distant we've become?" She asked him, her voice wavering with either anger or grief. "Am I only 'Your Majesty' to you now?"

Manu had no immediate response. He stood silent for a few moments, meeting the Queen's eyes. "I have to do what you refuse to do," He said finally. "If you won't take care of House Amin, then I have to."

The Queen made her tiny hands into fists, and then pointed at Manu with her right hand. "You never even asked for my help!" She shouted. "How dare you accuse me of refusing to take care of our House when you never even asked me to!" She was furious now, Manu could tell. It was a childlike tantrum. How dare he make accusations? How dare she say such things to him after she had gotten upset that he put their family before her petty concerns about a political marriage. As the Queen, her future was decided for her, because her future must be whatever was best for the Kingdom.

"Perhaps if you spent more time thinking about the good of the Kingdom," Manu started. He was getting worked up now, too. He felt his cheeks flush. "And less time thinking about how to avoid your responsibility to it, then you would see the painfully obvious decisions in front of your nose!"

"This is fun and all," a voice said behind Manu. "But I'm here with a job to do, and it just got a lot easier."

Manu spun around to see nothing behind him, but his stomach burst into hellfire as he felt something pierce his skin. He roared with pain, and he looked down to see a tear in his clothing and his skin through which blood was starting to spurt from around something that he could not see. As his vision began to swim, he could barely focus as a long, golden dagger shimmered into existence as his magical illusion faded, and he looked up into the pale, cold eyes of the Startouch Elf Miraya. He heard a scream from behind him.

"It's nothing personal, my elven friend." She said, pulling the dagger out of him and causing him to fall to a knee. "It's the girl I'm after, not you."

Miraya walked past Manu as he struggled to keep himself upright. The world was swimming around him, and his vision was starting to fade, but he refused to give in. He put a hand on his stomach in a feeble attempt to hold his insides in, and he felt his hand turn sickly wet and warm in the raging inferno that was his wound. With his other hand, he began to draw a clumsy glyph. He had no idea what he was doing, but he knew that if he did not do something, Aanya would die too.

"Surgete…" He mumbled with failing breath. "Timoris."

As the pale glyph vanished into the night air, the last things Manu heard before the darkness took him were two high pitched screams that followed him down into the void.


	13. Surgete Timoris

Part Two: What They Tended

_Surgete Timoris_

Warmth.

Light.

Manu opened his eyes and saw the open sky above him. Clouds drifted aimlessly through the blue ocean, and a flock of birds passed overhead, singing. The sun was directly overtop of him, and was blinding to his eyes. Yet, he kept looking at the brightness out of shock. Was this the afterlife?

"Oh, Manu," A voice to his left exclaimed. "You're finally awake!"

He turned his head just in time to see a blur throw two arms around his torso. Golden hair intermingled with his own white hair as a small head pressed itself against his cheek. It took him a few moments to realize who it was. He struggled to move his mouth and speak. He had no energy in him at all, and he felt like a sack of meat resting on a cutting board. "Aanya?" He pushed the words out of his weary body.

His sister let go of him, and he looked into relieved gold eyes that were surrounded by red and haggard crows feet. "I'm so glad you're alright." She told him. A breeze brushed over them, gently tickling Manu's bare chest. "I was worried the spell didn't work."

Manu stared at his sister. "Spell?" He asked, confused. He realized he was laying down, and he tried to push himself up.

Aanya put her hands on his shoulders, keeping him down with surprising strength. "No, no." She chided him. "You need to stay still. I don't know how effective it was."

Manu let himself rest back. He moved his eyes to look around him. He was on his balcony of his villa, and it was midday. He saw a tray of familiar books and a pile of dust slowly disappearing into the gentle breeze. "How did you…" he started, but then realized he was too weak to finish the sentence. His mouth was dry, and screamed for water.

Aanya took her hands off his shoulder, but he felt a light touch on his hand. It was familiar, comforting. She looked at him with a glint of mischief in her eye. "Manu," she said. "Your secret staircase is hidden behind a bookshelf with dusty books. You would never let books get dusty unless you cared about something more that was behind them."

Manu sighed, the deep breath causing him a slight discomfort. He lifted his head slightly, prompting Aanya to move to stop him, but he only move so far enough that he could see his stomach. A pink line was all that remained of the stab wound from the elven assassin. He let his head fall back, as things slowly began to make sense. "You found my magic components, too." He said, knowing that the only way for him to still be breathing would have to be a miracle. "You used dark magic."

Aanya looked down at the ground, her eyes distant. "I did," she said, her voice resolute. "But if I hadn't, you would be gone too, like our mothers." She visibly swallowed back her emotions, steadying herself, and then she looked back into Manu's eyes. "Luckily, you kept all your starfish arms by your healing books, so I did not have to look around for too long. Also, your house is a mess."

He smiled. "Yeah."

Realization dawned on him. He looked down at his left hand, and saw that, under Aanya's small tanned hand, he could see his own. He counted four fingers.

His heart pounded. "Aanya, I-"

His sister shook her head. "It's fine." She said, knowing already what he was going to say. "When you fell, I saw your horns, and your hands, but all I could think about was what I would do if you died. The spell that you cast, it made the purple elf scream like I had never heard anyone scream before. She ran back into your house and hid from whatever you made her see up until the royal guard arrived." Manu met her eyes, and he saw that the mischief was back. "I used one of your phoenix feathers to get them to come."

Manu gave her a faint smile. "You found those, too."

Aanya shrugged. "You organize your secret things better than you do everything else." She admitted. "After I sent for help, I found the starfish, and figured that I had to try something. So, I opened one of the healing books, tore through it, and then cast a spell with the starfish that healed you. I kept you covered with a sheet when the royal guard arrived. I just told them that you had killed one of the elves and had gone out looking for more."

Manu blinked, a bit disturbed that his sister would pretend he was a dead elven assassin. His sister, who had healed him, spoke of dead elves like it was nothing different than killing a farm animal. He tried not to think about that, and instead be grateful she had saved him. It was easy, at the moment, but he knew that he would return to these thoughts again. "I never knew how to tell you, Aanya." He said.

Aanya looked up and into the distance. "Well," she spoke softly, lost in her thoughts. "It doesn't matter now." She looked back down at him and smiled. "You're ok." She reached a hand up, still keeping one of hers on his, and he felt her rub one of his horns. It was a strange, foreign feeling. "I like the horns."

Manu pressed his lips together, overcome with shame as he realized how much he had missed his sister in the past few days. He felt his eyes grow moist, and he used what little strength he had to bring his four-fingered hand to cup Aanya's soft cheek. He looked at her, and tried to put his apology into words. He thought of what had started it all, how it had felt when the door to her bedroom had closed shut, how it felt both ignoring and being ignored by her in the privy council after the shade attack, and how it felt to be making huge decisions without her by his side.

He could not think of any words that would be right, but hoped she would understand what he meant. "I love you, Aanya." He said, realizing it was something he had not told her in a very long time.

His sister smiled back at him, and he felt her squeeze his hand. "I love you too, Manu." She said.

He lowered his hand, and they stayed like that for awhile. She kept his hand on his, and he closed his eyes and tried to rest in the warmth of the sun. He expected to feel seriously uncomfortable being seen in his elven form in the light of day, but somehow, knowing that only Aanya could see him, he was fine. It was a strange turn of events that had brought them back together.

"A lot has happened these past few days," He broke the silence. "I should have told you."

Aanya looked at him with warm eyes. "I was not the most welcoming." She confessed. "I wouldn't have spoken to me, either."

Manu tried to shift his position, but a sharp pain racked his stomach and he gave up. "I'm getting married, Aanya." He said, figuring it was best to start with the biggest information first.

Aanya was silent, and although she looked away, she kept her hand on his. It was a silent reminder to him that she was terrified to lose another member of her adoptive family. He was too. "To whom?" She asked. He could hear a touch of disapproval in her tone.

Manu realized he could not think of his fiance's name, having only met her the day before. A lot had happened since then. "She's the daughter of Lord Talika," he said.

His sister smiled sadly down at him. "You don't even know her name, do you?" She surmised. She was a lot wiser that other girls her age.

Manu turned his head away. A touch of shame made his cheeks flush. "It's the only way to grow our House." He said, sensing that the original conflict with his sister was about to be revisited. He thought back to what their conversation had been like before he had been stabbed. "The Talikas made me an offer that would have been stupid to say no to."

Manu looked out at what little of Duren he could see from where he lay. The fields were all harvested now, leaving only the short wheat remnants behind. Birds flocked flocked overhead, eagerly looking for what little scraps they could find. He knew his sister would not approve of his marriage, but he had already committed to it. It bring dishonor into the history of House Amin for him to back out now.

Aanya was quiet for a few minutes. Manu watched the birds above the fields as they swooped down occasionally in hopes of finding some scraps. He saw a few fight in the air as they descended, clearly interested in the same small, minor seed. "Well," she said quietly. "If you think it best."

"What do you really think?" He asked, surprising himself with the question. It had slipped his tongue.

Aanya was quiet again before she replied, clearly thinking over her words. "I think," she started hesitantly. "That people should not be used like pieces on a game board. They're worth more than that."

Manu wondered what life must be like for Aanya, who was able to have such a perfect and innocent view of politics and power, and still be in the center of it. "That's what everyone else does." He told her, knowing that she already knew.

"That does not make it right." She said plainly. "I understand that sometimes, it seems like there are no better options," she continued. "But if the options are not good, then how can the reasons be good?"

Manu thought about it for a bit. Right and wrong were not something that concerned him - he knew that his duty was to his House and that it came before all other things. Innately, he knew that it was not the way the Queens had raised him, but rather the imprint of his forgotten elven upbringing. "I can't think like that." He told her. "Not if we want to preserve our mothers' legacy."

Aanya sighed. "I know." Her tone was much more accepting than her words, and took the sting from them. He knew she meant no offense. "What did you do to the other elf?" She asked, changing the subject.

Manu the corner of his mouth. "I tried to think of the most harmful spell I could cast," he recalled. "The first thing I thought was of two different spells, and I took parts of them and just put them together."

"But what did the spell do?" Aanya repeated.

Manu considered hiding the full truth from her, but then realized that she deserved to hear all of it. "I made her see whatever it was she feared the most in the world." He told her, knowing that, deep down, he had taken a dangerous step in the usage of his moon magic. He had never used it to scare or hurt another person before. "What did you see?" He asked, curious if it had affected Aanya at all. He turned his head to look back at her. She looked surprised.

"I didn't see anything, Manu." She confessed. "I don't think it worked on me."

Manu thought back to what she had said earlier about seeing him hurt. It dawned on him that his spell had not affected her because, when he cast it, she was already seeing her greatest fear: losing another member of her family.

"I guess not." He said, letting her keep the privacy that he himself had enjoyed all these years.


	14. Reopened Wounds

Part Two: What They Tended

_Reopened Wounds_

It was nighttime when Manu finally was able to move on his own. Aanya stayed with him, learning fast that at her height and size it was difficult to support him while he tried to walk. Every movement sent pain through Manu's stomach, and although he wished Aanya had chosen a different spell to heal him with, he was grateful that she had made the effort to try. He did not tell her that, had she flipped to the next page of his tome on healing magic, and grabbed both the starfish and the jar of bee pollen right beside it, she would have been able to heal him completely. Now that the wound was sealed, however, he would be unable to cast any further magic on it unless he decided to open himself up.

He and Aanya sat in his study, now no longer a secret, and he answered her questions as she walked around. The curiosity on her face was so childlike, so innocent, it was almost as though she was just a common girl and not a queen. It was endearing, and made Manu sad that she had been forced into the life of royalty.

"What's this one about?" She asked, pulling a dark leather bound book from a shelf. She opened it, flipping through the pages.

"That's the diary of a dark mage from centuries ago." Manu told her. He had rarely read the book and kept it more as an amusing novelty. "He was convinced that he would be able to bring the dead back to life using magic. It goes on for years and years until he discovered, instead, that he could stop death, but not reverse it."

Aanya raised an eyebrow and put the book back in the shelf. "What was his name?" She asked.

Manu thought for a moment. "Plagis, I think? I'm not quite sure, it's not a story that the Magisterial College really wants people to be told about."

Aanya pulled another book from the shelf right below it. This one was bright red with golden binding, and a image of a claw embossed on the front. She opened it, and her eyes got wide. "This one is about dragons!" She exclaimed.

Manu smiled, wishing he could laugh but knowing the pain would not be worthwhile. "That one is written by an elf." He told her, making her eyes go even wider. He enjoyed being able to share these secrets with someone else, especially with Aanya, especially considering how their relationship had suffered the past week. "He was the first elf to go into the anatomy of dragons, writing about their inherent magics, and documenting their histories."

Aanya flipped the pages hungrily. "How did he learn about them?" She asked. "Aren't they dangerous?"

Manu chuckled, sending stabs of pain through his abdomen. "Dragons are incredibly intelligent creatures, actually." He informed her. "The oldest ones are capable of speaking, and they are some of the oldest creatures in the world."

"Have you ever met one?" Aanya asked, looking at Manu. "When you lived in Xadia?"

Manu blinked, realizing he could not remember. "I'm not sure," he admitted. "But I think that if I had, I would remember."

Aanya looked back at the book, and slowly closed it and looked at Manu with her golden eyes. "Do you miss Xadia, Manu?" She asked him quietly. She looked concerned, as though she felt pain inside knowing that Manu had been gone from his homeland for so long.

Manu felt no such pain, other than the wound in his chest caused by an elven assassin. He smirked. "How can you miss a place you don't remember?" He joked. "To me, Duren is my home."

Aanya put the book back in the shelf. Something was clearly on her mind. "How have you hid so well, all these years?" She asked him. "Right under the nose of the royal court, from the College - how?"

Manu took a painful deep breath. "I'm a Moonshadow Elf," he pointed to his horns and his eye markings. "And moon magic is the magic of illusions. I've had an illusion over myself all these years, and whenever I've had to use moon magic, I've always claimed to have some sort of primal source nearby."

"Illusions," Aanya started. "Like the one that the other elf had hiding her?" Aanya tilted her head questioningly. She pushed her hair back behind her ears, and for a moment, Manu was distracted by a glimpse of a small strand of silver hair hiding within the blonde. Manu was not sure if her voice was an accusation or if he was merely projecting how he knew he himself would have asked the question.

He nodded. "She had me fooled. I learned my lesson." He pointed to his stomach. "I think I'll be careful letting strange women into my house from now on."

Aanya rolled her eyes, and returned her attention to the books. Manu watched her. "People can't know, Aanya." He implored her. "The scandal would-"

"Oh, I know." She told him. She did not turn back to him, more focused on looking at a diagram of a ritual Manu could not discern from where he sat. "If they knew you were an elf, they would kill you, no question about it."

Her matter of fact tone made Manu unweary, but he knew he could trust his sister with his safety. "I'm purchasing the Chamakeela estates." He told her, unsure if she knew or not. "I don't know if I'll be able to be at court for awhile."

Aanya looked up from the book and looked over her shoulder at Manu. "I'm not letting you out of my sight until you heal fully." She informed him, using her royal tone. He could see in her eyes that this was one thing she would not change her mind about.

Manu smiled, remembering how stubborn their mothers had been during their lives. "I can heal it, Aanya." He told her. "There are other spells I can use to heal what's left." He did not tell her that he would have to cut himself open to do so.

Aanya turned around fully. "Fine," she conceded. "But I'm going to watch you do it." There was a hunger in her eyes, one that Manu recognized from his time at the College. She had tasted the power of dark magic, and it had changed her. She wanted more of it, like all humans did once they used the dark arts for the first time. Her silver lock of hair now would be a permanent reminder to her of the power she had once wielded, and she would never be able to forget it.

Manu felt his eyes widen in surprise and shock. It was strange, not wearing the illusion, and suddenly being very aware of his difficulty controlling his facial expressions. "I don't really think you need to be there for it, Aanya." He fought to regain his composure, and was glad that Aanya was not able to read his mind. It was better she believe he doubted her stomach, rather than know the reality of him doubting her intentions.

Aanya met him once more with her stubborn stare. "You didn't see any blood today, did you?" She asked, gesturing with her free hand at the ceiling above them. "I cleaned it all up. I was the one who healed you the first time. I'm not a child anymore, Manu. I'm growing up faster than either of us would prefer."

Knowing Aanya would refuse to have it any other way, Manu conceded and nodded. "Alright." He said, pointing at a cabinet on the other side of the room. "Bring me the starfish legs and the jar of yellow powder right next to them."

Aanya, putting down the book she had in her hand, strode to the cabinet and opened it. Even from on the other side of the room, the smell of preservatives was overwhelming. Aanya rummaged through the contents for a few minutes, but then finally pulled out the milky jar of yellow dust and a curled starfish leg. She held the jar with confidence, but clearly was a bit put off by the tentacle. Manu wondered if, when she had healed him, if she had hesitated to touch the strange ingredient. Probably not.

Turning around in his seat, Manu grabbed a knife from the desk behind him. It was one of the sharper ones that he had, and he could not remember why he left it out. Oh well, he thought to himself. He wiped it against his pants, trying to push out of his mind that in a few moments it would be cutting through his body.

Aanya put the jar and starfish part down on the desk, and looked hesitantly at the black knife in Manu's hand. "I've never seen metal like that before." She noted. "What is it?"

Manu flicked the blade of the knife, which made a soft click instead of ringing like one would expect. "It's obsidian." He told her, running a finger down the smooth edge of the blade. "It's a rare material that comes only from the volcanoes near the Breach. It's relatively easy to break if you hit it hard enough, but it's an incredibly sharp and sturdy material."

"Why do you need it?" Aanya asked.

Manu kept his attention on the knife, not wanting to meet his sister's eyes. "I need top reopen the wound." He told her plainly. The idea was revolting to him, but he reasoned he would rather do it than have to suffer with the pain for whoever knew how long.

He opened the jar of pollen and poured some of the fluffy dust onto his desk. Then, he grabbed the starfish leg, rolling it in the pollen until it was coated. He felt his nose itch slightly, a side effect of the pollen, but he ignored it. Then, he took the knife in his other hand, and he lifted up his shirt.

"Manu," Aanya said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Are you really sure this is necessary?" She asked.

Manu looked down at the large pinkish scar that marked where he would be cutting. "Yep." He said, putting caution to the wind and slicing open his wound without any warning.

Aanya cursed, something Manu had never heard her do before.


	15. Wooden Horses

Part Two: What They Tended

_Wooden Horses_

Manu and Aanya rode down the mountain as the sun rose before them. They rode in relative silence, neither of them morning people. He traveled in front, careful to keep himself alert for any signs of danger. He wore an uncustomary breastplate that day, deciding to make anyone that tried to stab him have to really work for it. He wore long leather tassets that bounced against his legs as they traveled down the rocky path. Behind him, Aanya wore the same clothing she had worn when she first arrived two nights before. The only change was that now, she carried one of Manu's daggers in a sheathe on her hip. It was only at her request that he give it to her; but, he was glad that she had no hesitation in asking. Dozens of attempts to unseat or kill her had left her mindful of being able to defend herself. Manu considered forming a new palace guard to protect her, but it was something that would have to wait.

When they reached the bottom of the mountain, Manu turned his horse around to look at his sister. She looked back at him with her golden, steady eyes. "I want to go with you." She told him. "I don't like leaving you alone."

Manu nodded. "I won't be alone," he reminded her. "I'll have Motiwala along with me." He had used magic the night before to send a message to his Talika friend coordinating today's inspection, and had received a dove back soon after. Motiwala was no fighter, but assassins from Duren would think twice about trying to hurt Manu in front of the great-uncle of Lord Talika. Motiwala, as royal chamberlain, also needed to be with Manu when he looked over the properties that the Crown would be selling to him.

Aanya pursed her lips. "Hmm." She said, shaking her head and snapping her reigns. Her horse began galloping towards the grand Duren Palace. Manu watched her go for a few moments. He owed her his life, without a doubt. He hoped that by leaving her in the protection of her current guards and soldiers, she would be safe. She told him the night before that the Startouch Elf was locked away in the lowest explored levels of the catacombs, and was being given food and water only by a deaf jailer who would never be able to hear any secrets the elf would have to reveal. Manu admired Aanya's creative mind, and appreciated her concern for his secrecy. Wearing his human image was still a necessity, and he knew that he could trust her to keep his true identity to herself.

Not wanting to waste any more time, knowing he had a long ride ahead of him, Manu started east towards the lands of House Talika. He kept his horse at a gentle canter on the road. He only passed a few people as he traveled through the lands by the Palace, but he also knew that by taking the road he was on, he would avoid the traffic going to the palace town. He kept the mountains to his right side as he rode on the same route that he had gone to the Magisterial College a few days before. The sun was finally up when he arrived at the College, and he realized that it would be a hot day to be wearing metal armor. Taking a sip from his waterskin, he slowed his horse down out of mercy and kept going towards his destination. It was harder for his horse to travel in Talika territory, as the roads were less well taken care of than those of the Ankar lands surrounding the Palace.

After a few more hours, he made it to the small town of Angoor, where Motiwala waited for him outside the wooden gate with a large saddlebag and a smile. He pushed his spectacles up his nose as he mounted his own horse with surprising agility. "If you cut your hair," he reminded Manu. "You would be less hot in the sun."

Manu pushed back a sweaty lock of hair from his forehead. "Good morning to you too, Moti."

They did not go through Angoor, instead deciding to go around it. The town was in the middle of a massive olive grove, and generations and generations of oil pressing and olive growing gave the air a strong scent. Angoor was an old town that grew very slowly, as the Talikas were more focused on their only other town, the one around the College. Manu reasoned that as long as Angoor provided with taxes and oils to trade, the Talikas really had no need to pay much attention to it.

They reached the large river that separated the lands of House Talika with the lands that formerly belonged to House Chamakeela. Across the stone bridge before them, Manu could see a large forest of trees with stone towers just visible beyond them. Columns of wispy smoke poked their fingers into the midday sky. As they crossed the bridge, Manu looked at his older friend. Motiwala looked around him with a keen eye, but whether he was looking for imperfections in the bridge or hidden dangers, Manu could not be certain. It was likely both.

They slowed their horses down while they crossed. Manu brought his closer to his friend. "Should I start calling you uncle?" He asked. He decided now would be a better time to broach the obvious question between them.

Motiwala looked at him. His pensive eyes were large behind his spectacles. "I had no idea my nephew would try to do that to you," he replied, referring to the engagement contract. "Had he asked me, I would have counseled him against it."

Manu raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Really?" He asked. "But it's incredible for the Talikas." He knew he could speak bluntly with Motiwala.

His friend shook his head. "Perhaps, but I feel bad for anyone who has to marry that girl, Chaya." Motiwala shuddered. "She is more beast than woman."

Manu smiled to himself. So Motiwala had not been a part of the conspiracy. He felt more comfortable with him now than he had before. They came off the bridge, and the first thing Manu noticed of the former Chamakeela lands was that the roads were smooth cobblestone instead of the packed dirt in the Talika lands. It made the horses' hooves click as they trotted along. It felt strangely surreal to Manu, such a drastic change from the rest of the Kingdom. Not even the Ankars, the most wealthy great House, had their roads paved. He wondered how much it had taken for the Chamakeelas, once the greatest of the great Houses, to decide to risk everything they had to kill and overthrow his sister.

Before too long, they came to a large gate that was open to them. On both sides of the gate was a large stone wall, with soldiers patrolling on and alongside it. A few of them turned to look at the two newcomers, but they soon returned to their duties. There was a cluster of guards at the gate, and as Manu and Motiwala approached, a tall one with a spear raised a hand to get them to stop.

"Hold there," he said. "What business do your Lordships have in North Jindagee?" His voice was stern and serious.

"I am Motiwala Talika," Moti told him, pulling a rolled scroll out from his saddlebag. He offered it to the guard, who took it and opened it. "Royal chamberlain to Her Majesty. I am here to show Magister Amin the Chamakeela properties."

The guard looked at the scroll, and then up at Manu. He appeared surprised. "Oh, it's you lot." He said, more to himself than anyone else. "I've been told to inform you that everyone has gathered at Fort Chamakeela in preparation for your arrival."

It was Manu's turn to be surprised, but Motiwala nodded before he could say anything. "Thank you, sir." He said, tapping his horse with his heels to prod it forward.

Manu followed his friend through the gates. North Jindagee was a thriving town, from what he could see. People were everywhere, going about their daily lives. Merchants shouted prices and products on top of boxes, holding their goods in the air for everyone to see. Children ran about, chasing each other and giggling whenever they bumped into someone. A few farmers led mule carts through the crowd, the carts piled with bushels of wheat from the recent harvests. No one paid Motiwala and Manu much attention, other than get out of their way.

Bringing his horse up closer to Moti, Manu leaned in so that he could be heard over the commotion. "What exactly do you have planned?" He asked.

Motiwala shrugged. "It's customary that when a new Lord takes over a property, they meet with the staff of the former owner. They'll give you their report on the state of the fief, and then you can ask them any questions you have."

Manu had never heard of this, but then again, he knew there was a lot he had to learn in the way of governing and the traditions of the great Houses. "And then what?" he asked.

"Well," Motiwala started. They passed a woman shouting at another man in the street. He could hear snippets of the conversation: apparently the man had gone to the market and forgotten to buy bread for the week. Once they passed, Motiwala continued. "Then, you ceremoniously release them from their duties, and replace them with your own staff."

Manu was taken aback by this. "What?" He asked. "That doesn't make any sense."

Motiwala shrugged again. "It's tradition." He said plainly. "If one House were to take over the fief of another House, then it would be in the best interest of the new family to replace the staff members loyal to the old family. Before the practice came to be, it was all too common for the old staff to sabotage the new owners. Incorrect bookkeeping leading to overspending and debt, fields not being tended properly, even important mail not being delivered." They passed by a group of soldiers standing on a street corner. They held on to their spears lazily, barely noticing as Manu and Motiwala passed by. They looked as though they had not seen any combat for a long time.

"That's just petty." Manu said, flicking a lock of hair out of his face. They turned a corner and started heading north through the town. He noticed that as they got farther from the walls, the buildings got cleaner, and the people dressed nicer. Clearly, the center of town was the place to be. "How many people live here?" He asked Motiwala.

"A few thousand," his friend replied. Manu could see their exit from the city - the north gate was much less busy than the eastern one. "Most of the workers live on the plains between Bandaragaah and South Jindagee."

"Bandaragaah," Manu repeated. "Isn't that the port city?"

Motiwala nodded. "Aye." He said. "Ships sail the lake until they reach the Neolandian Neck, and then they take the great river to the sea.:

Manu had forgotten about the port he was also going to claim as his own. "I'm very fortunate," he told his friend. "To be able to purchase all this land."

Motiwala did not look at Manu as they approached the gate, but Manu did look at his friend. His posture had changed. It was something about his shoulders - they suddenly were risen, as though in great discomfort. "Well," Motiwala said. "Let's just hear the reports from the staff before you declare yourself fortunate."


	16. Lands of the Crown

Part Two: What They Tended

_Lands of the Crown_

He had heard tales of the magnificence of the Chamakeela Fort, but as he rarely went anywhere further than the College, he never found the time to really see the rest of Duren. The stories he heard of the stone citadel, however, could not have prepared him for his first sight of it even this far away. The fort was built upon a small spire in the center of a small island, and a mighty stone brick wall ran around it. Towers were placed here and there, with curved green domes capping each of them. Manu could just barely see the rooftops of the other buildings within the walls, but his attention was more focused on the main attraction: the castle itself. It was impossible to miss once the trees cleared from his view as they left the Jindagree wood behind.

The castle easily rivaled the Duren Palace in terms of grandeur. It had buildings set into the sides of the small mountain, clearly built deep into the rocky faces. Each building was connected to the others by large stone staircases that spiraled up to the massive keep at the summit. Wide topped towers poked into the skyline, gleaming in the noon sun. Manu saw a strange, large glass gem poke out of the stone - it sparkled in the sun, every glint a temptation for Manu to come closer. He noted a lack of banners or flags from any of the walls and towers. He imagined that once the properties were seized by the Crown, they were torn down fairly quickly.

"Quite the sight, isn't it?"

Manu was jerked out of his trance by Motiwala's wise voice. He looked away for a moment at his friend. "It's massive." He said, knowing that his words, just like the stories he had heard, would not do the Fort justice. "I've never seen anything like it."

Motiwala coughed. His unease was still noticeable. "It's certainly big."

Manu turned to Motiwala and pulled on his reins. His horse shook it's head and came to a stop. "Moti," Manu asked. "What's going on here?"

Motiwala pulled on his reins as well, and turned his horse around and looked at Manu. His lips were pursed in discomfort. "This is a huge property," he said, clearly tired of keeping his thoughts to himself. "The Chamakeela estate triples the size of your House, and brings in ten times more income." He brought his horse closer to Manu's. Manu looked at his friend, remembering why he trusted him. His honesty was always good intentioned, and when something bothered him, he always revealed it eventually.

"Manu," Motiwala confided, his voice low. There was no one around to hear them. "I'm worried that this will paint a huge target on your back."

Manu leaned in. "Who?" He asked, wondering if there were factors he had not considered. "The Ankars, the Shers, obviously, but who else-"

"The damned Chamakeela boy, that's who!" His friend sputtered. He gestured with a hand at the landscape around them. Manu could see the harvested fields in the distance - he wondered if any of them were the valuable saffron plant that had inspired him to take this venture in the first place. He knew next to nothing of farming.

"He's the only one left," Manu responded. "It's not like he has any influence he can use at court to help him. He has nothing."

Motiwala shook his head. "He has the right to retake what should be rightfully his, Manu." His friend told him. "When you have nothing, revenge is worth more than gold."

Manu bit the inside of his cheek. He knew that Motiwala was right. There would be comeuppance eventually from the last Chamakeela, but he would have a long time to prepare. He looked at the walls of the Fort, at the tall towers, at the battlements, and knew that for as strong as they all were, they would not be able to keep out someone determined enough to get through them. He knew that for all his determination to rebuild House Amin, his motivation paled in comparison to what the Chamakeela boy must be feeling. Manu wondered if he already knew that Manu was looking to purchase his family's old lands. He wondered how he himself would feel, if the roles were reversed.

He stopped himself before he got too deep into pity - pity was for those who could not solve their own problems, and who's circumstances were not their own doing. The Chamakeelas were traitors, and so they rightfully had their properties seized from them. That was how Manu decided he would justify his actions to himself.

Manu looked his friend in the eyes. "I'll worry about that once I have reason to."

Motiwala picked up his reins again. He shook his head; knowingly, but still somberly. "I worry that when you do, it will be too late."

Manu tapped his heels to the sides of his horse and moved it forward. It was about twenty minutes before they crossed the bridge over the river that surrounded the Fort. The bridge was impressive too: it had two towers flanking it on both sides, which looked to be more ornamental than military. Lanterns, unlit, hung down from long cables stretched between the mirrored towers. The bridge was made of the same study stone that made up the walls and the buildings, and it was wide enough for at least two horse carts to easily be able to turn sideways on it. At the end of the bridge, there was a massive open gate about half the size of the towers themselves. A few men stood on the wall above it, curiously looking down at Manu and Motiwala as they approached. When they did not challenge them, Manu figured word of their arrival had preceded them.

"It's incredible, Moti." Manu said as they crossed the bridge. Just inside the open gate, he could see a line of men and women waiting for them. The staff, he assumed. They crossed under the large gateway, and he got his first view of the inside of the Fort. It was more beautiful and developed than he expected - there were beautiful gardens that ran along the walls, with wooden buildings here and there. It was as though a small town lived within the walls, and he watched people carry sacks and buckets to and fro, going about their business. A massive pathway led to a large doorway built into the side of the hill, with the large staircase he noticed from afar beginning right inside the entrance. The entire place had clearly been very well taken care of by the Chamakeela family over the many centuries they had owned it.

"I've been here so many times," his friend admitted, "And it still never ceases to amaze me."

The line of men and women waited for Manu and Motiwala to approach. Manu looked them over, and he saw that they returned his curious gaze. They all looked older than he was, the youngest probably being only a decade more. None of them wore any fine garments, each wearing simple, drab colors that did not draw attention. One of the men wore burnished armor that clearly had not been polished for a very long time, if ever. It was a sorry group, especially considering how everything else around them looked so pristine and perfect.

Two stable hands ran towards him and Motiwala. Motiwala nodded as the boy helped him down from his horse, but Manu raised a hand before the other one could get too close.

He slid off his horse, landing on the ground to realize how much his legs were tired from the long ride that day. His chest plate clinked as he did a few basic stretches, unconcerned by the confused glances the assembled group of advisers and foremen were trading with each other. Motiwala looked at him, clearly fighting the urge to shake his head, and then turned back to the staff.

"Royal Chamberlain," a man in the middle of the line greeted, voice deep. He was of fair height, and had deep brown eyes and dark skin. His head was shaven and his tunic was sleeveless - he clearly kept himself appropriately suited to the heat of Duren. He looked at Manu, and bowed. "Magister."

Manu looked at his wrists, and noticed the rings of scars that could only have come from either the shackles of imprisonment or servitude. The man had clearly lived a tough life, either way.

"Magister Amin," Motiwala said, stepping forward. His voice was formal and precise. "I present to you Chamberlain Amir, manager of this estate."

Manu nodded. Custom kept him from bowing in turn - nobles did not bow to commoners. "Chamberlain," he said. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance."

The Chamberlain bowed again. "The pleasure is all mine, Magister, to welcome you to the lands of the Crown." He voice was equally proper and precise, but Manu could not help but notice the minute emphasis on his title. It was an important distinction - Manu was not a Lord, as he owned no major properties. The emphasis was an underhanded insult. "I have heard stories of the masterful feats you have performed in Her Majesty's service."

Manu smiled politely. "I'm afraid most of the stories told are wildly exaggerated." He wondered if the Chamberlain had heard how Manu had used his magic to protect Aanya from the Chamakeela assassins. Perhaps the dark man had even been a part of the plot. "Please, Chamberlain," Manu continued, gesturing to the assembled staff. "Introduce me."

The next hour was spent meeting the important staff of the Fort. As Manu met each of them, he looked into their eyes and tried to discern whether or not they resented him. Some stares were certainly more aggressive than others - some bows were noticeably shorter, too. He wondered who among them had plotted against the Crown, and whether or not some of them still did. He was certainly not as safe as he would like to be, in his new home.


	17. Sealing the Deal

_Part Two: What They Tended_

_Sealing the Deal_

After he met the staff, Manu and Motiwala were led away by the Chamberlain. A few guards followed behind them, clinking along in burnished chainmail and greaves. They walked together in the direction of the carved doorway in the side of the hill, which Manu admired as they got closer. The masterful stonework took the form of two lifelike tree trunks with branches arching overhead. Near the top of the arch, Manu saw slits and realized there were rooms carved inside the gate from where guards could be stationed in the event of a siege.

The more he looked around, he noticed how easily fortified the entire grounds could be. The buildings all had ladders to the roofs, and were built in such a way that the taller buildings were closer to the hill, and decreased in height as they neared the walls - an intentional design so that archers on the taller buildings could shoot and avoid hitting friendly archers on the shorter houses. Before they crossed below the gate, he noticed how the rocky hill would make it almost impossible for anyone to climb up the side of it and reach the staircases and buildings carved into the small mountain. The only entrance was the gate under which he now passed.

"This place could hold its own against any siege." He commented, using conversational politeness as a way to probe a bit further into the sentiments of Chamberlain Amir. He looked to his right and noticed a large passage, big enough for horse carts, went that way deep into the mountain.

"It has," the dark man said. He did not turn around. "When the Crown came to arrest the Chamakeela family, they decided it would be easier to burn the fields around the Fort than to actually besiege it." His voice was neutral, and Manu could not determine the nature of his words - they were factual and bland, which was strange. They were too removed from emotion, too mechanical.

"Did you know them well?" Manu asked as they started up the large staircase. He looked up and saw sunlight not too far above them.

"I am no traitor, Magister." The man replied curtly. "If that is what you are concerned about."

"Not at all," Manu lied. "Just trying to better understand how it was you came to become Chamberlain here, that's all."

They walked up a few dozen steps in uncomfortable silence. Motiwala shot a look at Manu that all but asked "why are you like this?" Manu shrugged in response, and then turned his attention to Amir's back.

"Lady Chamakeela bought my freedom from Neolandian slavers when I was young." The Chamberlain intoned. "That is how I came to be here."

They reached the top of the stairs, and Manu stepped up onto the middle of a mosaicked courtyard. A circular fountain at the far edge, built like a small pond into the stone. One of the stone buildings Manu had noticed from afar sat nestled against the stony face of the mountain. Through the open door he could see bunked beds and racks of weapons - an armory and barracks. They did not enter, instead going around it and taking a stone staircase that curved around the spire. Benches and patios grew more common as they climbed higher.

At one point, Manu had to stop. It wasn't to catch his breath - he was more than enough in shape that the climb barely bothered him - but instead to just look out at the landscape around him. All of Duren seemed to spread before him. He could see the paneled roofs of North Jindagree in the middle of the encircling forest, could see the bridge he had crossed and the river that ran beneath it; but even more impressive was the green domes he could see glow in the sun far in the distance with the mountains climbing behind them. For the first time, he noticed how tiny and insignificant the palace was compared to the scale of the kingdom around it.

Motiwala spoke from beside him. "Not as high up as your home, your Grace," he joked. "But still a bit of a drop."

Manu chuckled. "I don't understand how this mountain came to be in the middle of this river. They don't just sprout out of the ground."

"I think the elves used to live here before the Split," Motiwala said, rubbing his chin in deep thought. His dark eyes scanned the landscape. "Maybe magic had something to do with it."

Manu turned to see Chamberlain Amir watching them with his hands clasped behind his back. His dark eyes met Manu's. "A good view of the Kingdom, your Grace." He said, voice and face equally disinterested.

Manu nodded. "Everything looks so small from up here."

The Chamberlain blinked. "The Chamakeelas thought so as well."

Alright then, Manu thought to himself.

They continued their way up the stairs. As they kept going, Manu could not help but remember how fit every Chamakeela had been. If they had to climb up and down these stairs every day, he could certainly see why. Motiwala, which his advanced age, was having a bit of a difficult time keeping up, but stuck on his blushing dark face was a grimace of determination.

After passing a few dark tunnels in the stone, they turned a corner and found themselves at a large stone gateway to stone citadel. Manu looked to the right and saw the stone walls wrap around the edge of the mountain - it was clear that the entire building had been carved out of the original stone. He could only imagine how long it took to carve the citadel, and then all of the tunnels and rooms that he knew would be within the mountain. He looked around and saw at least three large towers that rose from further down the mountainside, feats of architecture and human perseverance that he could hardly fathom doing himself. Motiwala's suspicions of the use of magic here seemed more than likely, however Manu had no idea what dark magic spells could have been used. The possibility of ancient elves building the Fort, Manu thought, was less likely. He would have read about it somewhere by now.

They passed through the gateway and stepped into the main hall of the Chamakeela citadel. Manu looked around at the long chamber, noticing the sloped ceiling held up by six mighty stone pillars. A long balcony was carved into the left part of the ceiling that looked down over the hall. The back right side of the room opened up to a large open stone patio that Manu had not noticed from the gateway. In the center of the room were three massive tables with wooden benches to both sides. At the far end of the hall Manu could see the Lord's table, plain and undecorated. A few doorways were scattered around the walls: two to either side of the Lord's table, one larger one in the center of the left wall, and one that led to a large hallway to Manu's immediate left. It all reminded him strangely of a temple, but without any banners or colors hanging from the walls, he was unsure of that it would be dedicated to.

"This, your Grace," the Chamberlain said. "Is the great hall."

Manu took a few steps forward, his feet clicking against the smooth stone floor. He turned around and walked backwards a few steps, taking in the entirety of the room. He saw another balcony carved into the stone above the gateway, and noticed the sunlight coming through from a balcony there. He had not noticed anything above the gateway from the outside, but he now recognized that was probably intentional. If everything was carved out of the same stone and meant to look natural, he would not have been able to recognize it looking up from the angle of the stairs. How many other secret paths and open air rooms had the mountain hidden from him during their climb?

"Amazing." Manu said. He looked up at the windows in the ceiling that let sunlight in to light the hall, and noticed a large golden chandelier styled to look like the top of a large tree. He looked back down at the Chamberlain, whose face was still blank.

"If you'll follow me, your Grace," he intoned steadily. "The bill of transfer is prepared for you in the library."

Manu nodded, his interest and excitement peaking. A library in a place this grand? He could only imagine the huge wealth of knowledge stored there from over the years. He would have to move his collection of books from his villa here at some point.

He followed the Chamberlain and Motiwala down the long stone hallway, leaving the great hall behind. The walls of the hallway were barren of any decoration or staff, giving Manu the impression that anyone remained in the citadel besides the freedman Chamberlain.

They turned a corner and stepped in to the library. It was not as great as Manu imagined, but it was still spectacular. It was half the size of the great hall, and large bookshelves lined the walls with a rainbow of books. A wooden staircase on the far end of the room led up to a second level with more bookshelves, but also a vast collection of maps hanging on the walls. The room was lit by two large openings in the middle of the ceiling which were filled with murky glass. There were a few tables in the room, all with new candlesticks on them. It was a quiet and peaceful room, but it felt like a mausoleum to Manu.

He looked up at the second level and noticed in the shadow, a figure in a dark cloak and hood looked down at them. He could see nothing of their face, but he was certain they were staring right at him. Then he blinked, and they were gone. Was it his imagination?

Before he could ask if anyone else had seen the specter, Motiwala tapped on Manu's shoulder. Manu snapped out of his thoughts and turned to look at his friend.

"The deed, your Grace." Motiwala said, gesturing to a large roll of paper on one of the tables. Two candles were lit there, one sky blue, and the other a dark blue. A quill pen and ink well rested between the candles.

"Right." Manu said. He stepped to the paper, ignoring the formal writing and regal decoration. He focused on the ink words, which had much more meaning than the traditional artistry of the deed.

"I, Manu of the House Amin, joined into House Amin through legal adoption, do hereby take ownership from the Royal Holdings of the Duren Crown the former lands and titles held by House Chamakeela on this date. I hereby swear to uphold the laws of the Crown and will serve faithfully Her Majesty of the Satin Throne, Aanya of House Amin, first of Her name."

Motiwala looked from Manu to the paper and then back to Manu. He picked up the dark blue candle, the color of House Talika, and held it over the paper. He focused on Manu as the wax dripped onto the paper. It was the only sound in the large library.

When enough wax had formed, he took a large metal seal from within his clothing and pressed it onto the paper.

Then he looked at Manu.

"Your Grace," he said softly. "Your seal."

Manu carefully grabbed the light blue candle and held it over the paper. He let the wax drip to the left of the royal crest Motiwala had pressed. Every drop of wax that fell reminded Manu of water dripping in a dungeon cell. It echoed strangely in the empty library. He did not think of what he was getting himself into, nor did he consider any of the warnings that his friend had given him during their journey together. With his seal, he was affirming his dedication to his family: to his sister, to the Crown, and to House Amin. He would face whatever trials that came with a resolute heart.

He pressed his signet ring onto the hot wax, and then used his other hand to pick up the quill and sign his name, declaring House Amin as the new owners of the Chamakeela estates under his Lordship.


	18. Little Towns and Big Beginnings

The next week was a fast paced blur. Motiwala stayed with Manu, helping him build a new staff and household for the citadel. Manu spent most of his time in the great hall, undecided on whether he enjoyed sitting in the Lord's chair or on the tables more. Chamberlain Amir left quickly after he was dismissed, as well as all of the old staff. He read through old financial reports they left behind, unsure of weather or not to trust the numbers there. There was a huge discrepancy between the amount of income from the steady sale of saffron - instead of selling it all at once and flooding the market, it was distributed slowly through trade routes across the five kingdoms. The numbers for which it was being traded for seemed incredibly high considering how much was written as being in supply, but the listed amount of gold coming in was a pittance. It was a problem that Manu knew he would have to address.

Motiwala, after a day spent in North Jindagee, reported his findings to Manu that night as they ate in the barren kitchen deep in the mountain. The only light they had to eat their measly meal of apples and bread ("You eat so much damned fruit," Motiwala joked after their third day in a row eating the same thing, "You could be a damn elf!" Manu had awkwardly laughed.) was from candles Manu had found after his exploration of the now abandoned buildings just within the Fort walls.

"The financiers put the price for the estate so low," he said from around bites of apple. "Because they told me that the common people have basically declared rebellion against their mayors."

Manu had laid back on the long table and let one of his legs dangle off the side. He looked at the dark ceiling upon which their candlelight danced. "And you never thought to tell me this before?"

Motiwala coughed. "Well, I didn't think it would be this bad." Manu heard him sip from the last goblet of wine they had found in one of the abandoned houses. People had left in a hurry, apparently afraid of being kicked out by force. Manu had brought no soldiers with him, so he was very confused by their swift departure. Old habits, he assumed.

"These people," Motiwala continued. "Spend all their time in the inns and taverns and on the streets arguing about how their rulers never do anything for them. They think that if they decided among themselves who would rule them, then they would be free from work and taxes."

Manu had thought about this for a few moments. It was a novel concept. "But then," he asked. "Who would pay the guard if no one paid taxes? How would they have a relationship with the Crown? What if their rulers were bad?"

Motiwala coughed again. "Damned if I know. I didn't want to question them and risk a mob. The local nobles though are as wild about the idea as you can imagine - they begged me to ask you to send men in to the towns and impose martial law and kill those who refused to work."

"Oh, great." Manu had frowned. "So I have nobles who want to kill the commoners and commoners who want to kill the nobles."

"Well," Motiwala said after crunching into another apple. "If it makes you feel better, no one wants to kill you. Apparently, everyone noticed your nice locks of silver hair as you rode into town on your white horse, figured you were a noble, but expected you to spit on everyone. When you didn't, you gained quite the following."

Manu sat up and looked at Motiwala, who was grimacing as he ate the fruit Manu had procured. "So the commons likes me," he said. "And the nobles?"

"Well," his Talika friend confessed. "They're just happy you haven't done anything yet."

Manu kept that conversation in mind as he watched the steady stream of bodies and carts cross the bridge into the Fort. He stood on the balcony of the Lord's chamber, wearing the first clean set of clothes in four days. It was a light tunic and pants that Motiwala had brought just the night before. "You're starting to smell like death, your Grace." He had said as he handed Manu the wrapped package. He then told Manu that he finished recruiting the staff, and they would be coming the next day.

"That was fast," Manu had said. "How did you do it?"

"I went to every tavern and I shouted that room and board would be free, as well as all the food and wine," Motiwala grinned. "As long as they would work without wages for the first month."

Manu watched from above as carts pulled up to the buildings down below that he had mentally named "Littletown." He watched as men and women got out of the backs of the carts and were directed by Motiwala, also wearing new clothes, into different buildings. He could hear his friend shouting all the way from up where Manu watched. "No, no, scullery maids live in that one!" "Families can stay together, that's fine - but your children will be working for their wine too!" "Yes, yes, we can talk about a tavern once we get this place cleaned up." "In the name of the Queen, that is not the bathroom!"

Manu turned from all the noise down below and focused his attention on he staff behind them. Mentally he called them his senior staff - one new Captain of the Guard, Steward, Chamberlain, and Foreman. The Foreman was a strong dark man named Advi, who Motiwala claimed was highly recommended by the nobles as being a man respected by the commons for being fair to everyone, and the nobles loved him because his organization and agricultural knowledge were unmatched in Duren. The Chamberlain, Luxa, was an older woman with grey hair and sharp eyes. She moved and thought incredibly fast for her age, and she was from Katolis. The Steward was a thin, reedy man with a hooked nose that was described to Manu as "able to find anything you want, in any amount, in any place, for the cheapest price." His name was Lan, and he told Motiwala he used to work for the Ankars before he resigned. He had been accused of stealing from one of the children, which he swore was just a misunderstanding.

The Captain of the Guard was a young woman who reminded Manu very much of his fiancé. She had a shaved head and tanned skin, and she wore hard leather that she proudly told Manu she had made herself from her first kill in the Neolandian deserts. She kept a hand on her ivory handled sword at all times, and her eyes were always moving around with suspicion. Motiwala said he found her fighting in an alleyway as a crowd bet against her - they lost all their money and Motiwala came home that night with a large purse of gold. Her name was Tulwa, and she was Neolandian by birth.

"Welcome," Manu told them. He smiled, trusting his human illusion to look much more confident than he felt. "I'm Lord Manu Amin, and I'd like to thank each of you for agreeing to sign on with me."

Tulwa shrugged. "I was promised free wine."

Manu blinked, thrown off guard. The other staff looked at Tulwa, clearly uncomfortable with the idea of an eighteen year old girl as Captain of the Guard. Motiwala said she had no experience but "Neither, your Grace, do you."

Manu continued. "We have an opportunity here," he said, reciting the words he had written the night before. "To make something great. You have the chance to be at the start of the rebirth of a great dynasty and for your great grandchildren to be able to say that their ancestors served the Amins when they first claimed these lands.

"The work will not be easy, but you all come highly recommended by the Royal Chamberlain, who is a great and wise friend of mine and who I trust with my life. Our first order of business is to get everything ready for my wedding to the daughter of Lord Talika, Chaya Talika, in a weeks time. Money should be no concern, because the Talikas are paying for it."

Manu noticed that Lan's eyes lit up, which was a touch concerning but would have to wait to be addressed at a later time. "We need to liven this place up with color. We need the colors and crest of House Amin to fly high so everyone knows that the Royal House rules here."

"Will the Queen be attending the wedding?" Luxa asked, scratching at her nose. "She'll need a bedchamber prepared for her."

Manu nodded, already seeing why Motiwala had endorsed the elderly woman as Chamberlain. Her mind was sharp and already thinking ahead. "Yes, and she'll be bringing the remainder of my belongings with her from my villa by the palace." Manu was eager to see his sister again, and was doubly eager to have his belongings back with him. Aanya's letter to him said she would be packing up his secret study herself; Manu was grateful of this, but also weary of his sister being able to go through all his magical relics, books, and ingredients.

"We'll need to get enough men and women who know how to hold a weapon before then," Tulwa said disinterestedly.

Manu blinked, surprised by the foresight his staff was already showing. Motiwala never let him down. "The Queen will be bringing the royal guard with her, but it wouldn't hurt to have guards of our own ready."

Lan rubbed his chin. "I can find us some armor and swords. I know a guy. He owes me a favor or two, and I can pay him to put the family crest on them."

Manu resolved to ask Lan at some point about all the favors people owed him. He also resolved to make sure the Steward was no where near the carts that would be unloading his possessions. "Perfect." He replied, grateful regardless of his suspicions.

"Now," he asked. "Are there any questions?"

No one raised a hand. Whether it was because of their confidence in themselves or their lack of confidence in Manu's ability to answer, he could not tell.

"Well, if you have any," Manu continued. "You all know where I live."

He received chuckles. That was good. He smiled too, feeling a bit more confident in himself than he had before. Comedy was not necessarily his strong suit - his humor was more snark and witty remarks than feel-good jokes.

"Alright," Manu said, bringing his hands together. "Thank you all. Dismissed."

He smiled at them and turned around and went back out to the patio to look down over the movement below. Things seemed to be calmer now than they were before. He could see Motiwala directing traffic still, pointing at a horse cart and then in the direction of the citadel. Manu assumed he was directing where to drop off food and other goods. They had found a passageway large enough for carts to go through that was clearly meant for just that purpose - it ended at the entrance to one of the storage rooms. Soon, food and drink would be plentiful, and Motiwala would be able to enjoy some actual meat.

Manu turned around, deep in thought, and was startled to see his senior staff standing right where he left them. All of them, besides Tulwa, had patient looks on their faces. His Captain just looked bored.

"Um," Manu fumbled. "Yes?"

"I had a question for you, my Lord." Luxa politely chirped. "About your Grace's living habits and food preferences."

"I wanted to ask your Grace about how he would like the Fort to be decorated." Lan informed him smugly.

"I wondered about the budget your Grace would be allocating to the workers wages," Advi said, speaking for the first time in Manu's presence.

Tulwa cleared her throat. "I'm the only guard right now."

Manu blinked a few times. This was his life now.

"Alright," he resigned. He pulled a chair from inside the room and dragged it onto the balcony. "Grab chairs then, because I'm sitting down."


End file.
